A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

OF NEW ENGLAND AND 
EASTERN NEW YORK 

---^ Raloh Hoffm?\nn 




Qass Qii 

Book J=L2 

CcpightW^ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 




SPARROW HAWK (perchedV. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK \A\ 



A GUIDE TO THE 
BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND 

AND 

EASTERN NEW YORK 

CONTAINING A KEY FOR EACH SEASON AND SHORT 
DESCRIPTIONS OF OVER TWO HUNDRED AND 
FIFTY SPECIES WITH PARTICULAR REFER- 
ENCE TO THEIR APPEARANCE 
IN THE FIELD 

BY 

RALPH HOFFMANN 

Member of the American Ornithologists^ Union 

WITH FOUR FULL- PAGE PLATES BY LOUIS 

AGASSIZ FUERTES AND NEARLY 

ONE HUNDRED CUTS IN 

THE TEXT 




BOSTON AND NEW YORK 

HOUGHTON, MTFFLIN AND COMPANY 

(^be II^i\jersiDe "pu^^^ Cambridac 

1904 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 

Two CoDies Received 

APR 21 1904 

Copyright Entry 

CLASS «- XXo. No. 

^^ / ^ 3 

COPY B 



COPYRIGHT 1904 BY RALPH HOFFMANN 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



Piihlished April, iqo4 



^^ 



To 

MY MOTHER 



PEEFATORY NOTE 

I AM indebted to a number of friends for assistance and 
advice in the preparation of this book. Mr. F. H. Allen, 
Mr. William Brewster, Mr. Walter Faxon, and Dr. C. W^ 
Townsend have read either the entire manuscript or parts of 
it, and have made valuable suggestions. Miss M. E. Blatch- 
ford has also read the manuscript and given much helpful 
advice. I am indebted to Mr. G. M. Allen for the advance 
sheets of his ^' Birds of New Hampshire,'^ which have 
helped me on points of distribution. Mr. F. M. Chapman 
has very kindly permitted me to use the dimensions given 
in his " Birds of Eastern North America." I am indebted 
to Mr. Brewster and to Mr. Walter Deane for the use of 
skins in Mr. Brewster's collection, and to Dr. W. McM. 
Woodworth for the use of skins in the Museum of Com- 
parative Zoology. Mrs. Florence Merriam Bailey has kindly 
permitted the use of cuts which have already appeared in 
her '' Birds of Village and Field." 

If this book proves helpful to others, it will pay, vica- 
riously at least, a little of the great debt which I owe to Mr. 
Walter Faxon, whose instruction and example have been an 
invaluable guide and stimulus to me in the past. 



CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION i"age 

I. The Object and Plan of this Guide ... 3 

II. Birds and their Seasons 6 

III. Migration 9 

IV. Distribution . 13 

V. Hints for Field Work . . . . . .18 

VI. How to use the Keys 22 

KEYS 

Key for Winter 29 

Key for March . . 33 

Key for April . 37 

Key for May 42 

Key for Summer 51 

Key for Autumn . . . . . . . 61 



BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND 
YORK 

Perching Birds : Order Passeres 



EASTERN NEW 



Thrushes : Family Turdidae 

Kinglets : Family Sylviidse .... 

Nuthatches and Tits : Family Paridae 

Creepers : Family Certhiidae . 

Thrashers, Wrens, etc. : Family Troglodytidae 

Titlarks : Family Motacillidae 

Warblers : Family Mniotiltidae 

Vireos : Family Vireonidse .... 

Shrikes : Family Laniidae .... 

Waxwings, etc. : Family Ampelidae 

Swallows : Family Hirundinidae 

Tanagers : Family Tanagridae 

Finches, Sparrows, etc. : Family FringillidjB 

Blackbirds, Orioles, etc. : Family Icteridje . 



71 

80 

83 

88 

89 

97 

98 

130 

137 

139 

140 

147 

H8 

184 



viii CONTENTS 

Starlings : Family Sturnidse 195 

Crows, Jays, etc. : Family Corvidae .... 195 

Larks : Family Alaudidae 199 

Flycatchers : Family Tyrannidse 201 

Goatsuckers, Swifts, Hummingbirds, etc. : Order Ma- 
crochires 

Hummingbirds : Family Trochilidse 209 

Swifts : Family Micropodidse ..... 210 
Nighthawks, Whip-poor-wills, etc. : Family Capriraul- 
gidse 212 

Woodpeckers, etc : Order Pici 

Woodpeckers : Family Picidse 215 

Cuckoos, Kingfishers, etc. : Order Coccyges 

Kingfishers : Family Alcedinidae ..... 224 
Cuckoos : Family Cuculidse . . . . . . 226 

Birds of Prey : Order Raptores 

Horned Owls, etc. : Family Bubonidae .... 228 

Barn Owls : Family Strigidse 234 

Hawks and Eagles : Family Falconidae . . . . 235 

Pigeons ; Order Columb^ 

Pigeons : Family Colurabidae 246 

Gallinaceous Birds : Order Galling 

Pheasants : Family Phasianidse ..... 248 

Grouse, Bob-white, etc. : Family Tetraonidse . . 248 

Shore Birds : Order Limicol^ 

Turnstones : Family Aphrizidae 252 

Plovers : Family Charadriidae ..... 253 

Snipes, Sandpipers, etc. : Family Scolopacidae . . . 259 

Phalaropes : Family Phalaropodidae .... 274 

Rails, etc. : Order Paludicol^ 

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots : Family Rallidae . . . 276 



CONTENTS Ix 

Herons, etc. : Order Herodiones 

Herons and Bitterns : Family Ardeidae .... 280 

Ducks, Geese, Swans : Order Anseres 

Ducks, Geese, Swans : Family Anatidse .... 286 

Cormorants, Gannets, etc. : Order Steganopodes 

Cormorants : Family Phalacrocoracidse . . . 310 

Gannets : Family Sulidse . . . . . . .311 

Petrels, Shearwaters, etc. : Order Tubinares 

Petrels and Shearwaters : Family Procellariidse . . 312 

Terns, Gulls, and Jaegers : Order Longipennes 

Gulls and Terns : Family Laridse 316 

Jaegers : Family Stercorariidse 328 

Diving Birds : Order Pygopodes 

Auks, Murres, and Puffins : Family Alcidse . . . 329 
Loons : Family Gaviidse ...... 333 

Grebes : Family Podicipidse 335 

APPENDIX 

A. Lists of Birds breeding in the three Life-Zones 

OF New England and Eastern New York . 341 

B. Books of Reference 347 

INDEX 351 



LIST OF ILLUSTEATIO^S 



FULL-PAGE PLATES 

Sparrow Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk. Frontispiece 

Life-Zone Map 15 

Least Flycatcher facing 202 ^ 

Chimney Swift facing 210 

Red-tailed Hawk and Marsh Hawk . . . facing 246 ' 



/ 



FIGURES IN THE TEXT 



1. Ruby-crowned Kinglet, head. . 

2. Golden-crowned Kinglet, head 

3. Red-bellied Nuthatch, head . 

4. White-bellied Nuthatch, head 

5. Long-billed Marsh Wren, head 

6. Short-billed Marsh Wren, head . 

7. Carolina Wren, head 

8. Canadian Warbler, head and breast 

9. Wilson's Warbler, head . 

10. Hooded Warbler, head 

11. Northern Yellow-throat, head 

12. Kentucky Warbler, head 

13. Oven-bird, head and breast 

14. Prairie Warbler, head and breast 

15. Black-throated Green Warbler, head and breast 

16. Black-poll Warbler, head .... 

17. Chestnut-sided Warbler, head 

18. Magnolia Warbler, head and breast 

19. Myrtle Warbler, head and breast . 

20. Black-throated Blue Warbler, head and 

21. Yellow Warbler, head and breast . 

22. Golden-winged Warbler, head and breast 

23. Blue-winged Warbler, head and breast 

24. Worm-eating Warbler, head 



breast 



PAGE 

81 

82 

86 

87 

90 

91 

94 

100 

101 

102 

104 

106 

109 

110 

113 

115 

lis 

119 
120 
12'2 
1123 
127 
12S 
129 



Xll 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



25. Black and White Warbler, head . 

26. Solitary Vireo, head ..... 

27. Warbling Vireo, head .... 

28. Red-eyed Vireo, head 

29. Loggerhead Shrike, head ... 

30. Northern Shrike, head .... 

31. Rough-winged Swallow, head and breast 

32. Bank Swallow, head and breast . 

33. Tree Swallow, head and breast 

34. Barn Swallow, tail 

35. Clife Swallow 

36. Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Female, head and breast 

37. Towhee, head and breast .... 

38. Towhee, tail ...... 

39. Song Sparrow, head and breast 

40. Slate-colored Juuco, head and breast . 

41. Slate-colored Junco, tail ..... 

42. Field Sparrow, head 

43. Chipping Sparrow, head 

44. Tree Sparrow, head and breast . 

45. White-throated Sparrow, head 

46. White-crowned Sparrow, head 

47. Seaside Sparrow, head and breast . 

48. Sharp-tailed Sparrow, head and breast 

49. Henslow's Sparrow, head and breast 

50. Grasshopper Sparrow, head and breast 

51. Vesper Sparrow, head and breast . 

52. Pine Siskin, head and breast 

53. Redpoll, head and breast .... 

54. White- winged Crossbill, head and wings 

55. Purple Finch, Female, head and breast . 

56. Bronzed Grackle, head .... 

57. Bronzed Grackle, tail ..... 

58. Red-winged Blackbird, Female, head and breast 

59. Bobolink, Female, head and breast . . . 

60. Blue Jay, head 

61. Horned Lark, head and breast 

62. Nighthawk, head 

63. Nighthawk, wing 

64. Whip-poor-will, head 

65. Northern Flicker, head and breast . 

66. Red-headed Woodpecker .... 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Xiii 

67. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, head, breast, and wing . . 220 

68. Belted Kingfisher, head and breast .... 225 

69. Black-billed Cuckoo, tail 226 

70. Yellow-billed Cuckoo, tail . . . ... .227 

71. Screech Owl, head . . 231 

72. Mourning Dove, tail . . . . . . . 247 

73. Bob-white, head . .252 

74. Piping Plover, head and breast . . . . . 254 

75. Semipalmated Plover, head and breast .... 255 

76. Killdeer, head and breast 256 

77. Black-bellied Plover, Immature, head .... 258 

78. Solitary Sandpiper, tail 264 

79. Red-backed Sandpiper, head 268 

80. Florida Gallinule, head . . . . . .278 

81. Sora, head 279 

82. Virginia Rail, head 280 

83. Least Bittern, head 284 

84. Surf Scoter, head . . . . . . .291 

85. Buffle-head, head 296 

86. American Golden-eye, head 298 

87. Blue-winged Teal, head 303 

88. Red-breasted Merganser, head 309 

89. Leach's Petrel 314 

90. Common Tern 319 

91. Herring Gull 324 

92. Razor-billed Auk, in Winter, head . . . .330 

93. Brunnich's Murre, head 331 

94. Black Guillemot 332 

95. Horned Grebe, in Winter, head 337 



INTKODUCTION 



A GUIDE TO THE 

BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND 

EASTERN NEW YORK 



THE OBJECT AND PLAN OF THIS GUIDE 

There is something infections in the enthusiasm of a stu- 
dent of birds. To hear him talk about the excitement of see- 
ing a new bird, to read his account of it, or, best of all, to go 
afield with him on a May morning, is often enough to awaken 
a new interest, which enriches life to a surprising degree. The 
study of birds presents plenty of difficulties, which add fuel 
to the flame of real enthusiasm ; there are sloughs of despond 
beyond which the faint-hearted never get. A guide who 
knows the way, its pitfalls and short cuts, is always wel- 
come, and almost necessary in these days when our only 
weapon is the opera-glass. In spite of the fact that many 
excellent books are now available, the author offers another, 
both in the belief that there can never be too many good 
guides, and in the hope that this book has been especially 
adapted to the growing class of beginners in bird study. 

The book is the result of experience with many field- 
classes. Every eflbrt has been made to emphasize the aspect 
of birds as seen out of doors, to describe their general or most 
prominent colors rather than any mark difficult to see on the 
living bird, and to call attentioi'i to their characteristic liabits 
and haunts, and thus to enable the conscientious student to 
answer, with as much certainty as possible, the question, 



4 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

^^ What is the bird that I have seen ? " The keys and the 
illustrations have been prepared with this end in view. 
There has been no attempt to give a complete description of 
the plumage, as it would look if the bird were held in the 
hand, nor does the book contain anything like full biogra- 
phies of each species. Minute descriptions of the plumage 
and full accounts of the lives of the birds are to be found 
in many excellent books, some one of which may well be 
used to supplement this Guide. 

Notes and songs have been carefully described, and as far 
as possible expressed in English syllables. The author is well 
aware that another listener would express the same sounds 
by very different syllables ; he has not attempted to convey 
to any one unfamiliar with the song anything more than an 
idea of its length and accent, and perhaps a suggestion of 
the quality of its tone. It is hoped, however, that the songs 
as transcribed will be useful in identifying doubtful species, 
that any one comparing the transcripts in the book with 
his own field-notes, or, better still, with the songs themselves, 
will recognize their likeness to that of one species and their 
unlikeness to that of another. 

The descriptions given in this Guide of the nests and 
eggs of those birds that breed in New York and New Eng- 
land are not intended to be full or detailed. If a nest and 
eggs have been found, but no clue to the parent birds has 
been obtained, these descriptions will not serve as a means 
of identification ; in fact, even a large collection of nests and 
eggs is sometimes of little use in such a case. The descrip- 
tions are merely intended to guide the student in his search 
for a nest by indicating where it is generally placed, or if the 
student thinks he has discovered the nest and eggs of a 
certain species, they will tend to confirm or to dispel his 
belief. 

The book attempts to be a guide for only a restricted re- 
gion, — eastern New York, northern New Jersey, and New 



THE OBJECT AND PLAN OF THIS GUIDE 5 

England. By narrowing the field in this way, many species 
are eliminated which in other manuals bewilder a beginner 
and often lead him into error. No mention, moreover, is 
made of birds that are only irregular wanderers to the region. 
As the student advances in the study of birds and be- 
comes more familiar with the commoner species and more 
interested in the subject, he often asks, ''Where or how can 
I see such and such a species, of which I read in Burroughs 
or Torrey ? " In the case of local or rare birds, an attempt 
has been made in this Guide to direct the student to certain 
favorable localities where the species will be either surely 
or probably found ; and in every case the kind of country 
where a species is likely to occur is as fully described as 
possible. 



II 

BIRDS AND THEIR SEASONS 

Though by far the greater number of our birds spend the 
winter months south of us, yet a few species of land-birds 
and many sea-birds find food enough here even in Avinter 
to support life. If these species are also found in the same 
region in summer, they are known as permanent residents. 
Examples of this class are the Chickadee, the Crow, the 
owls, and the Grouse or Partridge. Several of them are 
birds that find their food on the limbs or twigs of trees, in 
the form of dormant insects or their eggs, others feed on the 
seeds of weeds or grasses, or on the berries or buds of bushes 
or trees. The owls live on mice or other small mammals. 
Most of the birds that live chiefly on insects are driven 
south by the approach of frost. 

Besides these resident birds, our Avinter list includes birds 
that are found in summer to the northward of us, migrants, 
in other words, for whom our latitude is far enough south 
to afford food. Examples of this class are the Shrike, the 
Golden-crowned Kinglet, and the Tree Sparrow ; they are 
known as ivinter visitants. Another group of birds, includ- 
ing the Crossbills and the Pine Grosbeaks, generally resi- 
dent in high latitudes, move southward at very irregular 
intervals, and then become abundant winter visitants. 

The first warm days of March melt the snow from the 
hillsides of central New England and stir the hibernating 
insects ; a few species of birds that have wintered only a 
few degrees to the south of us, now begin to move north- 
ward and arrive in New England 5 examples are the Bronzed 



BIRDS AND THEIR SEASONS 7 

Grackle and the Eed-winged Blackbird. A few Bluebirds 
and a fairly large number of Song Sparrows winter in south- 
ern Connecticut and in the lower Hudson Valley, but in 
March the number becomes vastly larger, as the army from 
the south arrives. Most of the winter birds are still here, 
so that the March list is the winter list plus the March ar- 
rivals. In April, a larger number of species arrive from still 
farther south, but a few of the winter residents now leave 
for their summer homes, so that they must be subtracted 
from the April list. May brings back all the birds that 
have wintered south of us, as far south in many cases as 
Central or South America. It also drives northward our 
winter visitants, so that these no longer appear on the list. 
Some of these, such as the Tree Sparrow, breed outside the 
limits of the United States, so that they need not enter into 
our calculations again till they return in the fall ; many 
others, such as the Brown Creeper and the Golden-crowned 
Kinglet, though they now vanish from Connecticut, Massa- 
chusetts, and the lower Hudson Valley, go no farther than 
the Adirondacks, New Hampshire, Vermont, or Maine to 
breed ; these therefore appear later in the list of the sum- 
mer birds of those regions. Some of the March migrants, 
too, such as the Fox Sparrow, pass farther north in April 
beyond the Canadian boundary and do not appear again in 
our lists till the fall. Others, both of the March and April 
arrivals, pass into northern New England and New York to 
breed, but are eliminated from our May list in the southern 
and central portions of our field. 

By the middle of June, all birds are on their breeding 
grounds ; lists of birds seen in the latter half of June and 
early July include only the permanent residents and the 
Slimmer 7'esi(Ie')its. But inasmuch as the summer birds of 
northern New York and New England dilVer so nuicli from 
those of the rest of the iield, as is more fully explained 
under the heading Distribution, the division of the key 



8 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

which is especially intended for northern New York and 
New England is larger for summer than for other seasons. 
Many of our summer residents grow less numerous or 
disappear entirely before the first of September ; very few 
migrants from the north are seen till the middle of the 
month, when the arrival of the Black-poll Warblers marks 
the beginning of the return tide. By the middle of October 
only a few of our summer residents and a few migrants re- 
main, and by the first of December we come back to winter 
fare. The list for the autumn months will include, there- 
fore, all our permanent residents, all our summer residents, 
except those that leave before the middle of September, and 
all the migrants. 



Ill 

MIGRATION 

The migration of birds is their movement away from their 
breeding grounds at the close of one breeding season, and 
their return to it at the approach of the next. Almost all 
birds move about to a certain extent after they are no longer 
bound to the neighborhood of the nest, but when an Owl 
haunts the same swampy forest throughout the year and a 
Downy Woodpecker wanders no farther from its woodland 
home than the nearest village, we call such birds non-migra- 
tory. The great majority of our birds, however, are forced by 
lack of food to move southward at the end of summer ; some 
go only a short way, many pass beyond the limits of the 
United States, a few pass the Equator. It often happens that 
there are individuals of a species present both in summer 
and in winter ; there are Chickadees, for instance, in New 
England at all seasons, though it is quite possible that they 
are not the same individuals — that the more southern have 
been replaced by some that bred farther north. For our 
purpose, however, such birds must be considered permanent 
residents. Some species, Crows for instance, are permanent 
residents, but are much commoner in summer than in winter. 
The wandering away from the breeding ground begins 
almost as soon as the young are able to fly ; Snowbirds often 
appear in the valleys, a mile or so from spruce growth, as 
early as the middle of July. During August, many of our 
resident birds undoubtedly move southward ; many have 
been silent for some time, so that we do not notico their 
departure. A few species, too, reach us from the north 



10 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

during July and August, the Solitary Sandpiper and the 
Great Blue Heron toward the end of July, the JSTorthern 
Water-thrush and the Yellow-rumped Warbler in August. 
By the tenth of September, the great stream of northern 
birds sets in, reaching its height about the first of October, 
though the Fox and Tree Sparrows do not arrive till late in 
October. It is safe to say that by the fifteenth of December 
all the land-birds that intend to move southward have done 
so. In New England and New York, there is practically no 
change in bird-life (unless it be a further diminution in num- 
ber of some wintering species) until the middle of February. 
The first arrivals from the south, the Crow Blackbirds, 
Bluebirds, etc., reach the lower Hudson Valley by the end 
of February, and the latitude of Boston early in March. 
These are birds that have wintered within fairly easy reach, 
in the Carolinas perhaps, or in Virginia. Stormy weather 
delays them ; a warm spell with southwest winds brings 
them early. All through March and early April other birds 
which have wintered in the Southern States arrive. In the 
mean time, birds that have wintered in the tropics have been 
pushing into the Gulf States or into Florida, and at each 
warm Avave they advance, till in May they flood New York 
and New England in a great wave. The first warm, fair 
night following a hot day, or, better still, two successive hot 
days, between the third and tenth of May, will generally 
bring the first Orioles ; the next such spell of heat will 
bring all the northern warblers and thrushes. If early May 
is cool and clear for days, the birds do not arrive in a great 
body, but slip through in little flocks, almost unnoticed. A 
cold northeast storm following suddenly on a hot wave 
makes the best conditions for observing migrants ; they are 
held back in great numbers, and as they feed low in the 
bushes in such weather, they can be easily studied. About 
the city of New York, migration is practically over by Deco- 
ration Day ; a day or two later, the last Black-poll Warbler 



MIGKATION 



11 



and Olive-backed Thrush have left the latitude of Boston. 
Only two or three rare migrants, the Mourning Warbler, 
for instance, occur regularly in June. 

The above paragraphs deal chiefly with the migration of 
land-birds ; the shore-birds and the sea-birds have some- 
what different periods of migration. The sandpipers, plovers, 
and terns spend the winter to the southward, and return to 
their breeding grounds for the most part during May. A 
few species remain to breed off the coasts, of New York and 
l^ew England, but the vast majority pass farther north. 

By the middle of July, many of the sandpipers begin to 
come back, and there is a heavy migration of the shore-birds 
during August and early September. ISTumbers of the ducks, 
loons, grebes, and gulls are winter visitants to our coasts ; 
they begin to pass north in April, and by the end of May 
all that are going north have left. The gulls begin to come 
back in August, some of the sea-ducks, loons, and grebes in 
September, and throughout October there is a steady south- 
ward movement ; by the first of December the bulk of those 
that winter farther south have already passed by. 

There are several facts about the migration of birds that 
it is well for the observer to keep in mind. In many species 
the males precede the females by several days, — in the case 
of the Bed- winged Blackbird by several weeks. If a species 
is a summer resident of any locality, and also a migrant to 
more northern regions, the first arrivals are almost always 
residents which return to the old breeding-places. The earli- 
est Black-throated Green Warbler, therefore, will be found 
in some grove of pines where the bird breeds, and two weeks 
later, perhaps, the orchards and open woodland will bo full 
of migrant Black-throated Green AVarblers, passing north in 
company with other northern warblers. Tlie resident birds, 
moreover, vary greatly in promptness ; some one (^atbird will 
be noted as an early bird, singing in his favorite thicket sev- 
eral days before his neighbors arrive. The period of migra- 



12 A GUIDE TO THE BIEDS 

tion of any one species varies, largely according to the abun- 
dance of the species, but also according to some unexplained 
idiosyncrasy of the bird. The Yellow-rumped Warbler is 
passing through sometimes for a period of over a month ; the 
first E,usty Blackbird often appears late in March, and the 
last in early May. Certain birds are seen much less fre- 
quently in migration than one would expect from their abun- 
dance northward ; the Winter AVren and the Sapsucker are 
examples. Some birds have very different routes in spring 
and fall ; the Connecticut Warbler is almost never found in 
ISTew England in spring, but is sometimes locally common in 
the autumn, while the Blackburnian Warbler is much rarer 
in the autumn than in the spring. Several birds, therefore, 
the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and the Bay -breasted Warbler, 
for instance, occur as not uncommon migrants along the 
Hudson, or even in the Connecticut Valley, though rare in 
eastern New England. 

The spring is an easier time to identify migrants than the 
autumn. Nearly all the males are in full song in the spring ; 
very few sing at all in the autumn. Many birds change their 
plumage in the summer, and lose their bright distinctive 
marks. And yet, to an enthusiast, there is something very 
fascinating in the study of the fall migrants. In spring, the 
bird's song generally betrays his presence for some time be- 
fore he is seen ; but in the autumn one is kept constantly on 
the alert to discover in the flocks of small restless warblers 
or sparrows, often dull colored and puzzling, some novelty 
or rarity. 

Perhaps the most interesting experience connected with 
the study of birds is to hear the notes of migrants passing 
overhead on clear nights in August and September. The 
tsip of Black-poll Warblers or the chink of a Bobolink fall- 
ing from the darkness, brings home to one with startling 
impressiveness the wonder of the long journey from northern 
New England to the Equator and back again. 



ly 

DISTRIBUTION 

The fact that birds are not universally distributed is known 
to every one interested in natural history ; that the Mock- 
ingbird is a southern, and not a northern bird is generally 
understood. The exact limits of the breeding area of any one 
bird are hardly to be defined even in New England, but the 
region where it breeds commonly may now be definitely 
mapped. 

Two important factors must be borne in mind in studying 
the breeding areas of the birds of New England and New 
York, the latitude and the altitude. If we pass from New 
York city through southwestern Connecticut to New Haven, 
then up the Connecticut Valley to northern Vermont, we note 
in southern Connecticut the tulip-tree and the sweet gum ; 
in central Connecticut we see them no longer, but we still 
see oaks and hickories ; but by the time we reach Wells 
E/iver in central Vermont, these too are left behind, and 
patches of spruce and fir appear on the distant hillsides. 
We have climbed only 407 feet from the sea, but we have 
traversed nearly three degrees of latitude, and hence these 
changes. They are due to a colder and moister climate at a 
higher latitude. Had we left the train in the Connecticut 
River Valley, at Greenfield, traveled westward to North 
Adams, and then climbed Mt. Greylock, almost oOOO 
feet above the railroad, Ave should have noted the same 
changes as Ave ascended the mountain ; the oaks and nut 
trees Avould have disappeared, and been replaced by spruce and 
fir. But here the changes would have been due to altitude. 



14 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

And as all life is intimately associated, the student of birds 
would have felt sure from the presence of the sweet gum 
trees in Fairfield County, Conn., that certain birds, the 
Southern Water-thrush for example, would be found breed- 
ing there, and from the spruces on Grey lock or in northern 
Vermont, that Black and Yellow Warblers nested among 
them. 

To predict what birds will be likely or certain to be found 
in any one place, we must, therefore, know first its lati- 
tude, — southern Connecticut and northern Maine will have 
few birds in common; next, we must know the altitude of 
its hills and the character of their vegetation, — if they 
are high enough to be clothed with spruce, they will be 
frequented by birds unknown as summer residents in the 
lowland. 

So regularly do certain groups of plants and animals, in- 
cluding birds, confine themselves to certain well-marked re- 
gions, that it has been found convenient to employ certain 
fixed terms to designate the areas where these groups are 
found. The sweet gum and the Southern Water-thrush are 
characteristic of the Atlantic Plain from southwestern Con- 
necticut to Florida ; they are representatives, therefore, of 
what is known as the Carolinian or Upper Austral Life Zone. 
The spruce and the Black and Yellow Warbler occur through- 
out the forested region of Canada ; they are representatives, 
therefore, in northern New England of the Canadian Life 
Zone. So closely is the presence or absence of a certain well- 
marked group of birds correlated with the presence or absence 
of the spruce and fir, that the nature of the forests becomes 
the first point one must settle with regard to any locality in 
southern New Hampshire or Vermont, or northern jNIassa- 
chusetts or New York. The accompanying map shows the 
extent in New England of the Upper Austral and Canadian 
Life Zones. 

The country between these zones possesses many birds 




Loiifjitmlo West 



from Groonwioh 



LIFE ZONES 



16 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

found in each of the neighboring belts, and none not shared 
by one or the other of them. It has therefore been called 
the Transition Zone. Its boundaries to the north concern us 
chiefly, for many birds (see p. 342) cease to be found when 
we pass from this Transition belt to the Canadian. 

Nothing is sharply defined in nature, and so the bounda- 
ries of these zones, though they may be well defined on maps, 
have in the actual country a very indefinite outline, one area 
fading almost insensibly into another. Moreover, certain 
birds, though confined to the spruce belt, begin to appear at 
its very margin, while others demand for a summer home 
deep spruce forests, or other conditions which are attained 
only well within the belt. Snowbirds, for instance, usually 
appear with the first small patches of spruce, in Worcester 
County, Mass. ; Brown Creepers only in large-sized spruce 
forests, such as occur on Greylock and Monadnock ; and 
Black-poll Warblers not until the Catskill or White Moun- 
tain region is reached. Similarly, some of the Carolinian 
birds, such as the Chat and the Orchard Oriole, are found 
beyond the range of the others, far up the Housatonic Val- 
ley or in eastern Massachusetts. 

The range of any particular bird in the breeding season 
will be found in the account of that bird ; in many cases the 
map which shows the Life Zones will give the area through- 
out which the bird commonly occurs. Outside this area, the 
bird may be expected to occur sparingly, in places which 
approximate to the warmth or dryness of more southern re- 
gions, or to the coldness and moisture of the north. Certain 
lists given in this book (p. 341) should be studied in this 
connection, and a list is also given on p. 348 of ^' local lists " 
which may be either bought, or obtained in large libraries ; 
these give the latest information as to species found breed- 
ing in the various localities of which they treat. The student 
cannot be too strongly urged to make out for himself, by 
the use of the map and of the lists above mentioned, a list 



DISTRIBUTION 17 

of the species which may be expected to occur in summer in 
his locality, and to annotate it, by reference to this Guide, 
with notes as to the abundance of each species, the kind 
of country it frequents, and the best field-marks by which 
to recognize it. He will then be able, when he begins his 
work in the field, to eliminate a large number of birds from 
consideration, and save himself from an embarrassment of 
riches. 



V 

HINTS FOR FIELD WORK 

Any time of year is good to begin the study of birds^ though 
February is perhaps the best time. The number of species to 
be found in winter is so limited that a beginner can become 
familiar beforehand with the appearance and favorite haunts 
of those he is likely to find, so that he will welcome by name 
the first Golden-crowned Kinglet or Brown Creeper that he 
sees. The latter part of August and the first half of Septem- 
ber, except at the sea-shore, is perhaps the worse time of year 
for students of birds. Birds are then silent and retiring ; one 
sees few species, but must distinguish them from among a far 
larger number of candidates than in winter. 

Morning, as every one knows, is the best time of day to 
see and hear birds, but it is not necessary to rise at three or 
four, unless one wishes to accomplish a great deal in a morn- 
ing. If one starts before eight there will be, even in sum- 
mer, two or three hours when birds are fairly active. Be- 
tween five and seven in the afternoon there is a renewal of 
song and activity. A high wind, or a steady northwest wind 
in spring, makes a poor bird day ; birds are then silent and 
retiring. A violent rain, of course, keeps them under cover, 
but they delight in warm showers. 

The first impression a beginner gets on a spring morning 
is of a confusion of sound, and if he attempts to find the 
individual songsters, he is often discouraged by the brief 
glimpses he gets of some distant and departing bird. An 
experienced student has in the mean time noted the songs of 
many species, and recognized old friends by a hint of color. 



HINTS FOR FIELD WORK 19 

a trick of flight, or some mysterious general effect. Let the 
beginner patiently continue his walk, keeping, if possible, 
near mixed growth of trees or bushes, especially near water. 
Before long he will come upon some bird, or group of birds, 
busily occupied in feeding, or startle one from the ground to 
a neighboring twig. Now is his opportunity ; if the bird is in 
good view, let him seize opera-glass, note-book, and pencil, 
and note everything possible about the stranger. On every 
walk, though the great majority of birds will tantalize a 
beginner by their restlessness, some one will favor him with 
a chance for leisurely survey, and a cataloguing of all its 
markings. It is frequently possible to draw birds out of thick 
cover by kissing the back of one's hand, so as to produce a 
squeaking sound. 

After the student has learned the commoner birds, he 
should begin following up strange sights and sounds. Often 
the chase is long and futile ; but generally, by cautious and 
persistent stalking, one brief glimpse after another yields the 
desired total. A new song should be followed to its source and 
the singer noted. I have then found it helpful to set down 
in syllables what the bird seemed to my ear to say. This 
habit not only trains one^s ear but also aids in fixing the 
song, so that it can be recalled. 

The secret of rapid'progress lies, as in all things, partly in 
native talent, a quick eye and ear, and a retentive memory, 
but also in preparation. Each new week in the year, each 
new place one visits, should be read up beforehand, as one 
reads up a city in a guide-book. If April is approacliing, 
look through the key for April, and note that one of the 
Warblers that is now to be looked for has yellow under 
parts, wags its tail, and has a song like that of the Chipping 
Sparrow. If besides, one has an opportunity to visit a largo 
museum, and to see the mounted bird, one will have a men- 
tal imago that will often make instant recognition ]X">ssible. 
The study of good drawings of the birds is <he next best 



20 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

preparation. The reading of Ijooks like thqse of Bolles, 
Burroughs, and Torrey is a great aid, as well as a pleasant 
stimulus. 

Opera-glasses are almost indispensable. The best for bird 
study magnify about three and a half times ; in other words, 
the bird is brought that much nearer to you. The Zeiss 
glasses magnify many more times, but the field is much 
smaller, and the bird harder to find. For sea-birds which 
are riding the water in one place, a powerful marine-glass or 
even a small telescope is useful. 

Note-books are indispensable, and it is often well to carry 
a handbook into the field, so that a bird can be looked up 
on the spot, and some important point settled, if possible, 
by examining the bird again and again. 

It soon becomes evident to a student that birds are much 
more plentiful in some spots than others. Often one can 
learn from others where the best places are ; if not, one 
should try the edges of broad valleys, or the borders of 
streams where bushes, swamp, and pasture alternate. As a 
rule, the more diversified the country, the more birds there 
will be. In winter, warm sheltered hollows are attractive. 
In migration time it is particularly important to find favor- 
able places. 

When a student gets far enough to *get the nesting fever, 
he has an endless and intense pleasure before him. The nest- 
ing season treads fast on the heels of the spring migration ; 
many birds, in fact, have built before the May migrants come. 
To find nests it is necessary to have found them ; that is to say, 
after one has been found, it is much easier to find the second, 
for one knows then where to look. One must, moreover, be 
constantly on the alert for the slight hints which are often so 
important. A bird going to and from its nest slips along in 
a very different fashion from its ordinary careless wandering. 
A straw or bit of hair in a bird's mouth is a broad hint ; sit 
down at once, and try to beat the bird at a waiting game. 



HINTS FOR FIELD WORK 21 

The capacity to take hints grows by practice, as the powers 
of the eye and ear grow. The rapid identifications of the 
expert seem marvelous at first, but a beginner soon learns to 
tell a flying Goldfinch as far as he can see it. As season fol- 
lows season, his eye, ear, and memory serve him better and 
better, and at last he too walks through woods and fields, 
hearing and recognizing distant calls or bits of song, or iden- 
tifying the passing birds by a glimpse of some well-known 
bit of color, or by some marked peculiarity of flight. 



VI 

HOW TO USE THE KEYS 

The following keys include all the common land-birds of 
New England and eastern New York, except the hawks, the 
owls, the Mourning Dove, and the game-birds. No one 
should, however, expect, by the use of these keys, to name 
with certainty every small bird seen for a few moments at 
long range or in thick foliage. If a bird is to be identified, 
it must have been observed clearly enough and long enough 
for a fairly good description of it to be set down. No one 
can hope at first to carry an accurate mental picture of 
even the brightest bird. A note-book should, therefore, be 
always at hand in the field, and when an unfamiliar or 
doubtful bird is seen, the size, colors, habits, and habitat 
should be set down. Note-books arranged for .such use can 
be procured (see list, p. 350). 

To estimate the size, compare the bird with an English 
Sparrow, which is about 6.33 inches long. The Song Spar- 
row is about as long as an English Sparrow ; the Bluebird, 
a little longer. The Robin, about ten inches long, will serve 
as a standard of comparison for the larger song-birds. 

Birds are classified in the keys, according to color, under 
the following heads : — 

1. Brown or Brownish (including reddish-brown). 

2. Gray or Grayish (including greenish-gray). 

I have excluded from either of the above classes any birds 
which show any clear, bright yellow, such as the female 
Maryland Y^'ellow-throat, or marked bluish-gray, such as the 



HOW TO USE THE KEYS 23 

Nuthatches, but have included birds that have a more or less 
faint yellowish wash on the flanks, as the Phoebe in fall, 
and some of the Vireos. 

3. Yellow or Yellowish without Black. (No large 
or prominent area of black.) 

4. Yellow or Orange with Black. 

This class includes chestnut and black. The black appears 
either in streaks, as in the Prairie Warbler, or in patches, as 
in the Goldfinch. 

5. Black and White. 

The black and white should form a marked contrast, either 
in streaks or bars, as in the Black and White Warbler and 
the Downy Woodpecker, or in large distinct areas, as in the 
Kingbird. 

6. Black or Blackish. 

This class includes purplish-black, as in the Crow Black- 
bird and the Purple Martin. 

7. Red, Scarlet, or Rose. 

This class includes all birds that have any such tint at all 
prominent. 

8. Blue or Bluish-gray (excluding purplish-black). 

A number of birds have been put into more than one class, 
to guard against oversight, on the part of the observer, of 
some bit of color. Plain-colored females and young, and 
bright-colored males of the same species have, of course, been 
put into separate lists. For the summer months there is a 
key to the birds seen constantly on the wing, such as the 
Swallows and the Swift, without reference to their color. 

One should also notice carefully any conspicuous patterns 
of coloration, any stripes, streaks, or contrasts of color, and 
where they are situated. Many keys are based chiotly on 
such marks, and they are often necessary for linal identi- 
fication. But some of them are often cither overlooked 
by beginners, or not well displayed by the bird. jNloro 



24 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

stress has been laid in these keys on a combination of char- 
acteristics than on any one set, nor need the failure to note 
any one mark block the student's way entirely. 

After the size, general color, and conspicuous marks have 
been noted, one should observe any tricks of attitude or 
gait, such as hopping, walking, tilting the tail, bobbing 
the head, raising crest-feathers, etc. The bird's feeding 
habits are also important ; one should note whether it 
scratches for seeds, flies out into the air after insects, or 
gleans them from the trunk or twigs of trees. 

Lastly, one should notice the kind of country in which the 
bird is seen, whether marsh, meadow, orchard, thicket, or 
forest. The term plantation is used occasionally in this Guide 
to designate ground which has been planted with trees and 
bushes, as on large estates. It is important, in noting the 
locality where a bird is seen, to look about and see what 
kind of ground is found near by ; a marsh a few rods away 
will explain the presence of a E-ed-winged Blackbird in a 
roadside tree. In times of heavy migration, it is true, a bird 
may appear almost anywhere, and Swamp Sparrows will 
turn up in backyards ; but, as a rule, the nature of a bird's 
food forces it, even in migration, to show preference for cer- 
tain haunts. When a beginner grasps the fact that he will 
never see a House Wren clinging to a bulrush, or a Marsh 
Wren in an apple orchard, he may do much in the way of 
eliminating improbable birds. Another important and much 
neglected means of assistance in identification is afforded by 
taking into account the time of year : certain birds are never 
here in January (exceptions, of course, occur, but may be ig- 
nored by the beginner) ; others are found only in winter. 
The keys have therefore been arranged so that each season 
has its own key, and reference should be made only to that ; 
it will sometimes happen, however, that a bird will appear 
late in one month, though it regularly comes early in the 
next, and is provided for in the following key. 



HOW TO USE THE KEYS 25 

Under the seasonal heading, there are subdivisions accord- 
ing to color, as already described, and in them the birds are 
arranged in two groups, in the order of their size : Group A 
contains birds larger than an English Sparrow ; Group B 
those smaller than an English Sparrow. As a further help in 
identifying the larger song-birds, the place in the list where 
a Robin would come is indicated. If the, student be in doubt 
whether a bird be larger or smaller than an English Sparrow, 
let him study the last birds in Group A, and the first in 
Group B. If the bird be noticeably small, let him begin the 
search at the bottom of Group B. The divisions A' and B' 
are to be used only in southern Connecticut and in the lower 
Hudson Valley ; the divisions A'' and B'' only in the north- 
ern portions of New York and New England. An asterisk 
beside the figures which give the size of a bird, indicates that 
the bird does not occur every year ; two asterisks mean that 
it is very irregular, and more often absent than present. 

The figures in the keys indicate in inches and decimals 
the length of the bird ; the keys include, besides, a brief state- 
ment of the kind of country in which the bird is generally 
found, and brief clues for its identification, — some strik- 
ing field-mark, or constant trick of action. If the bird has 
been carefully watched under favorable conditions, the search 
in the key will soon narrow down to a small number of spe- 
cies. If there is still doubt, the descriptions of these species 
and the accounts of their habits given in the body of the 
book should be carefully read, the evidence weighed, and a 
final choice, if possible, be made. A common fault of be- 
ginners in identifying from printed descriptions is to ignore 
some perfectly obvious and insuperable objection. I have 
known the skin of a Brown Thrush labeled as a Cuckoo, in 
spite of its spotted breast. Mr. Chapman tells me that the 
Louisiana Water- thrush has been identified as the Olive- 
backed Thrush : one is().28 inches long, the other 7.17; the 
extra inch must tell, even in the field. 



26 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

But birds are often not seen to advantage ; it is hoped 
that in such cases students of this book will learn to be con- 
tent with the belief that the puzzling bird was probably one 
of two or three, and wait for another opportunity to settle 
the matter. Xo method is more harmful to a real advance 
in knowledge than the anxiety to get some name or other 
for every bird seen. The best field ornithologists of my 
acquaintance are most distinguished by their reluctance to 
give a decision on insufficient evidence. Yet one can be too 
timid, and a habit of doubting one's own powers of observa- 
tion leads to discouragement. If one has a description noted 
on the spot, it is good mental training to come to some defi- 
nite decision, to say that the weight of evidence is strongly 
in favor of this or that species. Certainty will come in time, 
with widening acquaintance. The beginner must realize, too, 
that his powers of observation are probably not yet fully de- 
veloped ; his untrained eye is confused by a flying or mov- 
ing bird, and gets only a glimpse of color, where a skilled 
observer sees steadily, and discovers the distinctive field- 
mark. 



KEYS 



KEYS 

Note. — The following signs and abbreviations are used in the keys and 
in the text : — 

^ = male. Im. = immature. 

9 = female. * = irregular. 

Ad. = adult. ** = very irregular. 

Groups A (birds larger than an English Sparrow) and B (birds smaller 
than an English Sparrow) may be used throughout New England and 
eastern New York; groups A' and B' onl}' in southern Connecticut and the 
lower Hudson Valley; groups A" and B" only in the northern portions of 
New York and New England. (See p. 25.) 

No provision has been made in the keys for birds in immature plumage; 
in the autumn' and winter in most cases where the female (?) is specified, 
young males may be included in the same category. 

The occasional dates of arrival or departure given in the keys are, of 
course, only approximate, and will vary according to the season and to 
latitude. One may also expect a variation of about ten per cent, each way 
in the lengths of birds given in the keys and text. 



KEY FOE, WINTEE 

Brown or Bro-wnish. 

A. 

12. oo. Flies to or from trees; rump white .... p. 216. Flicker. 
10.75. Only where there is little snow; feeds in grass; shows white tail- 
feathers in flight p. 190. Meadowlark. 

10.00. Head black ; breast bay p. 73. Robin. 

7.75. On or near the beach; throat yellow ... p. 200. Shore Lark. 

7.19. In flocks in trees; plump, sleek; eats fruit p. 139. Cedar-bird. 

A'. 

8.25. (As far north as Central Park, N. Y.) Crest, wings, and tail tinged 

with reddish p. 151. 9 Cardinal. 

7.17. Low in thickets; tail re*ddish-browu ; breast white, spotted. 

p. 74. Hermit Thrush. 
6.74. Scratches on ground; tail brown; throat white. 

p. 163. "White-throated Sparrow. 
[6.33. Size of Enghsh Sparrow.] 

B. 
6.36. In small flocks on ground; wing-bars white; breast unstreaked, 

with small dusky spot in centre . . p. 162. Tree Sparrow. 
6.30. Skulks in marshes or brush heaps; breast streaked, with dark 

blotch in centre 1 p. 157. Song Sparrow. 

6.27. Brownish-gray; in flocks with slate-gray males; outer tail-feathers 

white p. 158. 9 Junco. 

6.25. Only in beach grass p. 171. Ipswich Sparrow. 

5.66. Clings close to tree-trunks p. 88. Brown Creeper. 

5.65. In small flocks; common near sea-shore or in bayberry patches; 

rump yellow p. 120. Myrtle Warbler. 

5.32.*'* Grayish-brown ; feeds in birclies or in weed-patches; adults have 

dark red crown p. 178. Redpoll. 

5.10. In small flocks in trees or on ground; call-notes sweet; flies high 

when startled; wings and tail black and white. 

p. 177. Goldfinch. 

B'. 

5.50. Skulks in brush heaps; whistles loudly; conspicuous whitish line 

over eye ]). 94. Carolina Wren. 

4.06. Skulks in brush heaps or walls; dark brown ami very small. 

p. 91. Winter Wren. 



30 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

B." 

5.35. In small flocks in trees; crown dark brownish-gray. 

p. 83. Hudsonian Cliickadee. 

G-ray or Grayish. 

A. 

10.32. On tops of trees or bushes; upper parts gray; wings black and white. 

p. 138. IsTorthern Shrike. 

1000. Back gray; head black; breast bay p. 73. Kobin. 

g.o8.** Slaty-gray; wing-bars white . . p. 183. ? Pine Grosbeak. 



12.00. In woods, often about logging camps ; forehead white; nape black. 

p. 197. Canada Jay. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 

B. 
6.27. In flocks on the ground; head and breast dark slate-gray; outer tail- 
feathers white p. 158. Junco 

6.22. In trees, often with red males; brownish-gray; streaked. 

p. 181. 9 Purple Finch. 
6.19.* In or under trees, generalh' in conifers; often with red males; rump 

greenish-yellow p. 180. ? American Crossbill 

6.05.** In or under trees, generally conifers; often with red males ; wing- 
bars white; rump greenish-3^ellow. 

p. 179, $ White-winged Crossbill. 
5.00.* In flocks in trees; under parts streaked; bar on wing yellow. 

^ p. 174. Pine Siskin. 

4.07. Restless in trees and thickets; top of head yellow or orange, enclosed 
in black; wing-bars white. 

p. 81. Golden-crowned Kinglet. 
B'. 

6.00. (North as far as Orange, N. J., and Staten Island.) In trees; upper 
parts gray; crest conspicuous . . p. 85. Tufted Titmouse. 

Yellow. 
A. 

7.75. In flocks ; generally onlj^ on or near the sea-shore ; throat and line over 
eye sulphur-yellow p. 200. Shore Lark. 

Black and White. 

A. 

10.32. On tops of trees or bushes; upper parts gray; wings and tail black 
and wliite p. 138. Northern Shrike. 

[10.00. Size of Robin.] 

9.40. On trunks or large limbs; white stripe down middle of back; wings 
barred with black and white . . p. 224. Hairy "Woodpecker. 



KEY FOR WINTER 31 

6.83. Similar to above, but commoner and smaller. 

p. 223. Downy Woodpecker. 

6.88. In flocks, generally only on or near sea-shore; wings and tail black 

with much white p. 174. Snow Bunting. 

A". 
8.75. On trunks and large limbs ; back barred with black and white. 

p. 221. American Three-toed Woodpecker. 
[6.33. Size of English. Sparrow.] 

B. 
6.07. On trunks or limbs; crown black; back bluish-gray; under parts 

white p. 86. White-bellied JsTuthatch. 

5.27. In trees; top of head and throat black; sides of head white; wings 

gray p. 84. Chickadee. 

4.62. On trunks or limbs; crown and line through eye black ; back bluish; 
under parts reddish-brown or huEy. 

p. 85. Red-beUied Nuthatch. 

Black. 

A. 

19.30. Entire plumage black p. 196. Crow. 



8.50. (Only near New York city or Long Island Sound.) Walks on ground ; 
purplish or greenish at close range; feathers of upper parts heavily 
spotted with buff; bill blackish-brown ... p. 195. Starhng. 



17.00. Entire plumage black, except a red crest and a white bar on wing. 

p. 219. Pileated Woodpecker. 

g.50. On trunks and large limbs; back black; wings and tail black and 

white p. 222. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. 

Red, Scarlet, or Rose. 

A. 

10.00. Head black; breast bay p. 73. Robin. 

9.08.** Entire plumage rose-red; brightest on head and rump: wing-bars 
white p. 183. Pine Grosbeak. 

A'. 

8.25. (As far north as Central Park, N. Y.) Entire plumage red or reddish ; 

crest conspicuous p. 151. Cardinal. 

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 



6.22. In or under trees; entire upper parts and throat crimson ; brightest on 

head and rump p. 181. Purple Finch. 

6.19.* Entire bird vermilion-rod; regular in northern Now England. 

p. 180. American Crossbill. 



32 A GUIDE TO THE BIEDS 

6.05.** Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars white: not so uncommon in north- 
ern New England ... p. 179. "White-winged Crossbill. 

5.32.** In flocks in bircties or in weeds; crown dark crimson; breast and 
rump often pink p. 178. KedpoU. 

4.62. On limbs of trees ; back bluish ; head black ; line over eye white ; under 
parts reddish-brown . . . . p. 85. Red-bellied Wuthatch. 

Blue. 
A. 

11,74. In woodland or in trees near houses ; much white in wings and tail. 

p. 198. Blue Jay. 
A'. 

7.00. Upper parts bright blue ; breast reddish-brown. 

p. 71. (f Bluebird. 
7.00. Upper parts grayish; wings and tail bluish; breast pale reddish- 
brown p. 71. ? Bluebird. 

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.07. On trunks or limbs; back bluish-gray; crown black; under parts 
white p. 86. ' White-beUied Nuthatch. 

4.62.* On trunks or limbs ; back bluish-gray ; crown and line through eye 
bhick; under parts reddish-brown or biiffy ; less irregular in north- 
ern Xew England p. 85. Bed-bellied Nuthatch. 



KEY FOE, MAECH 

Brown or Brownish. 
A. 

12. oo. Flies from or to trees; rump white p. 216. Flicker. 

10.75. Whistles in tree-tops; feeds in grass; shows white tail-feathers. 

p. 190. Meadowlark. 

10.00. Head black; breast bay p. 73. Kobin. 

7.75. On or near the beach ; throat j-ellow . . p. 200. Shore Lark. 

7.26. (Arrives about March 15.) Scratches on the ground; tail reddish- 
' brown; breast spotted p. 154. Fox Sparrow. 

7.19. In flocks in trees; plump, sleek; eats fruit. 

p. 139. Cedar-bird. 
A'. 
8.25. (As far north as Central Park, N. Y.) Crest, wings, and tail tinged 

with reddish p. 151. ? Cardinal. 

7.17. Low in thickets; tail reddish-brown; breast spotted ; not common. 

p. 74. Hermit Thrusli. 
6.74. Scratches on ground; tail brown; throat white. 

p. 163. White-throated Sparrow. 
[6.33. English Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.36. In flocks on the ground; wing-bars white; breast unstreaked, with 
small dusky spot in centre .... p. 162. Tree Sparrow. 

6.30. Sings a bright song from bush or small tree; breast streaked with 
dark blotch in centre p. 157. Song Sparrow. 

6.27. Brownish-gray; in flocks with slate-gray males; outer tail-feathers 

wliite p. 158. V Junco. 

6.25. Only in beach grass p. 171. Ipswich Sparrow. 

5.66. Clings close to tree-trunks .....]). 88. Brown Creeper. 
5.65. In small flocks; common near sea-sliore or in bayberry patches; rump 

yellow p. 120. Myrtle Warbler. 

5.32.** Grayish-brown; feeds in birches or in weed-patches; adults with 

dark red crown p. 178. Redpoll. 

5.10. In small flocks in trees or on the ground; call-notos sweet; tlios high 

when startled; wings and tail black and white. 

p. 177. Goldfinch. 
B'. 

5.50. (Very rare in New England.) Skulks in brush ; whistles loiully ; con- 
spicuous whitish line over eye ... p. 94. Carohna Wren. 



34 A GUIDE TO THE BIEDS 

4.06. Skulks in brush heaps or walls; dark brown and very small. 

p. 91. Winter "Wren. 

B". 

5.35. In small flocks in trees; crown dark browni?h-gray. 

p. 83. Hudsonian Chickadee. 

Gray or Grayish. 
A. 

10.32. On tops of trees or bushes; upper parts gray; wings and tail black. 

p. 138. Northern Shrike. 

10.00. Back gray; head black or gray ; breast bay . . p. 73. Robin. 

9.08.** Slaty-gray; wing-bars white . . p. 183. ? Pine Grosbeak. 

6.99. (Arrives after March 15.) Brownish-gray; about farm-buildings or 

near water; tail frequently jerked; notephos'bee. 

p. 206. Phoebe. 
A". 

12.00. In woods, often about logging-camps; forehead white; nape black. 

p. 197. Canada Jay. 
[6.33. Size of Enghsh Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.27. In flocks on the ground; head and breast dark slate-gray; outer 

tail-feathers white p. 158. Junco. 

6.22. In trees; often with red males; brownish-gray, streaked. 

p. 181. ? Purple Finch. 
6.19.* In trees; generally in conifers, often with red males; rump green- 
ish-yellow p. 180. ? American Crossbill. 

6.05.** In or under trees ; generally in conifers, often with red males ; 
wing-bars white; rump greenish-yellow. 

p. 179. ? White-winged Crossbill. 
5.00.* In flocks in trees; under parts streaked ; bar on wing yellow. 

p. 176. Pine Siskin. 

4.07. Restless in trees; top of head yellow or orange, inclosed in black; 

wing-bars Avhite ..... p. 81. Golden-crowned Kinglet. 

B'. 

6.00. (North as far as Orange, N. J., and Staten Island.) In trees; upper 
parts gray; crest conspicuous . . p. 85. Tufted Titmouse. 

Yellow. 

A. 

7.75. In flocks, generally only on or near the sea-shore; throat and line 
over eye sulphur-yellow p. 200. Shore Lark. 

Black and White. 
A. 

10.32. On tops of trees or bushes; upper parts gray: wings and tail black 
and white p. 138. Northern Shrike. 



KEY FOR MARCH 35 

[lo.oo. Size of Robin,] 
9.40. On trunks or large limbs; wings barred with black and white; stripe 
of white down middle of back . p. 224. Hairy "Woodpecker. 
6.83. Similar to above, but commoner and smaller. 

p. 223. Downy Woodpecker. 

6.88. In flocks, generally only on or near the sea-shore ; wings and tail 

black with much white p. 174. Snow Bunting. 

A". 
8.75. On trunks and large limbs; back barred with black and white. 

p. 221. American Three-toed "Woodpecker. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.07. On limbs or trunks; crown black; back bluish-gray ; under parts 

white p. 86. White-bellied JNTuthatch. 

5.27. In trees; top of head and throat black; sides of head white; wings 

gray p. 81. Chickadee. 

4.62. On trunks or limbs; crown and line through eye black; back bluish; 
under parts reddish-brown or buffy. 

p. 85. Red-beUied Nuthatch. 
Black. 



ig.30. Entire plumage black p. 196. Crow. 

12.00-13.50. In flocks in evergreens or walking on ground; tail long; 
head lustrous blue-black .... p. 181. Crow Blackbird. 
[lO.oo. Size of Robin.] 
9.55. Near water; no red or white on wing; eye white. 

p. 186. Rusty Blackbird. 
9.51. Near water; red on shoulders or white bar on upper wing; note 

okaree p. 191. Red-winged Blackbird. 

7.92. On the ground in fields, or flying over, or lighting in trees; head 

dark, rich brown . • p. 192. Cowbird. 

A'. 

8.50. (Onl}' near New York city and Long Island Sound.) "Walks on ground ; 
purplish or greenish at close range ; feathers of upper parts heavily 
spotted with bufiE ; bill blackish-brown . . p. 195. Starling. 
A". 

17.00. Entire plumage black, except a red crest, and a white bar on wing. 

p. 219. Northern Pileated "Woodpecker. 

9.50. On trunks and large limbs; Itack black; wings and tail black and 

white .... p. 222. Arctic Three-toed "Woodpecker. 

Red, Scarlet, or Rose. 

A. 

10.00. Head black or gray ; breast bay p. 73. Robin. 

9.08. A.** l^jutire pluniago rose-red; brightest on head and rump; wing- 
bars white p. 183. Pine Grosbeak. 



36 A GUIDE TO THE BIEDS 

A'. 

8.25. (As far north as Central Park.) Entire plumage red or reddish ; crest 

conspicuous p. 151. Cardinal. 

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.22. In or under trees; entire upper parts and throat crimson; brightest on 
head and rump p. 181. Purple Finch. 

6.ig.* Entire bird vermilion-red; regular in northern New England. 

p. 180. American Crossbill. 

6.05.** Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars wliite, not so uncommon in north- 
ern New England ... p. 179. "White-winged Crossbill. 

5.32.** In flocks in birches or in weedy patches; crown dark crimson; 
breast and rump often pink ... p. 178. Hedpoll Linnet. 

4.62. On limbs of trees; back bluish; head black; line over eye white; 
under parts reddish-brown . p. 85. Red-beUied Nuthatch. 

Blue. 
A. 

11.74. In woodland, or in trees near houses; much white in wings and tail. 

p. 198. Blue Jay. 
7.00. Upper parts bright blue; breast reddish-brown, p. 71. cf Bluebird. 
7.00. Upper parts grayish; wings and tail bluish; breast pale reddish- 
brown p. 71. ? Bluebird. 

B. 

6.07. On trunks or limbs; back bluish-gray; crown black; under parts 
white p. 86. 'WTiite-bellied Nuthatch. 

4.62.* On trunks or limbs; back bluish-gray; crown and line through eye 
black; under parts j-eddish-brown orbuffy; less irregular in north- 
ern New England .... p. 85. Red-beUied Nuthatch. 



KEY FOR APRIL 

Bro"wn or Brownish. 

A. 

I2.00. Flies to and from trees; rump white .... p. 216. Flicker. 
11.42. Upper parts reddisli-brown ; tail very long; flies into bushes when 

disturbed p. 95. Brown Thrasher. 

10.75. Whistles in tree-tops, or from posts; feeds in the grass; outer tail- 
feathers white p. 190. Meadowlark. 

10.00. Wings brownish; head black; breast bay . . p. 73. Robin. 
8.00. (Arrives April 20.) A large swallow, living in boxes set on poles; 

with blue-black males p. 146. ? Purple Martin. 

7.92. Walking on ground, or lighting in trees; generally with black males; 

breast unstreaked p. 192. $ Cowbird. 

7.75. (Leaves April 10.) In flocks, on or near the sea-shore; throat yellow. 

p. 200. Shore Lark. 

7.26. (Leaves April 20.) Fox-color; breast heavily spotted ; scratches on 

ground p. 154. Fox Sparrow. 

7.19. In flocks in trees; plump, sleek; eats fruit . p. 139. Cedar-bird. 
7.17. On the ground, or on low limbs; breast spotted; tail reddish-brown. 

p. 74. Hermit Thrush. 
6.99. About farm-buildings, or near water; tail frequently jerked; note 

2)hce.'hee p. 206. Phoebe. 

6.74. (Arrives April 20.) In flocks; scratches on the ground; throat white; 

tail brown p. 163. "White-throated Sparrow. 

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.36. In flocks on the ground; wing-bars white; dusky spot on unstreaked 
breast p. 162. Tree Sparrow. 

6.30. Singing from bush or low tree, or feeding on ground; dark blotch in 
centre of streaked breast p. 157. Song Sparrow. 

6.27. Brownish-gray; in flocks with slate-gray males; outer tail-foathers 

white • p. 158. Junco. 

6.25. (Leaves April 10.) Only in beach grass. 

p. 171. Ipswich Sparrow. 
6.12. In pastures and near cultivated fields; breast streaked; outer tail- 
feathers white p. 172. Vesper Sparrow. 

5.89. In marshes; breast unsti-eakod ; crown chestnut. 

p. 155. Swamp Sparrow. 

5.68. In bushy pastures, and ccihir-covered hillsides; breast unstreaked; 

song sweet and clear p. 160. Field Sparrow. 



38 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

5.66. Clinging close to trunks of trees ... p. 88. Brown Creeper. 
5.65. In small flocks; often in bay berry bushes near the sea-shore. 

p. 120. ? Myrtle Warbler. 
5.37. Near houses or farming land, or in cedars; breast unstreaked; song 

unmusical p. 161. Chipping Sparrow. 

5.32.** Brownish-gray; in restless flocks; feeds in birches or in weedy 

patches p. 178. RedpoU. 

5.10. In flocks in trees, or in weedy patches; throat tinged with yellow; 

wings black and white p. 177. Goldflncli. 

4.06. (Arrives April 10.) Dark brown ; skulks in brush-heaps or in stone 

walls p. 91. "Winter Wren. 



5.50. (Very rare in New England.) Skulks in brush; whistles loud; con- 
spicuous whitish line over eye . . p. 94. Carolina Wren. 

B". 

5.35. In trees; crown dark brownish-gray. 

p. 83. Hudsonian Chickadee. 

Gray or Grayish. 

A. 

10.00. Back gray; head black, or dark gray ; breast bay. 

p. 73. Robin. 
7.92. Light bro-wnish-gray ; unstreaked; generally with black males. 

p. 192. ? Cowbird. 

6.99. Brownish-gray; about farm buildings, or near water; tail frequently 

jerked; notephce'bee p. 206. Phoebe. 

A". 

12.00. In woods; often about logging-camps; forehead white; nape black. 

p. 197. Canada Jay. 
10.32. On tops of trees or bushes; wings and tail black and white. 

p. 138. Worthern Shrike. 
9.00. Rare, except in western Vermont; similar to above. 

p. 137. Loggerhead Shrike. 
g.o8. Slaty-gray; wing-bars white ... p. 183. $ Pine Grosbeak. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 



6.27. In flocks on the ground; head and breast dark gray; outer tail- 
feathers white p. 158. Junco. 

6.22. In trees; often with rose-red males ; brownish-gray; streaked. 

p. 181. ? Purple Finch. 
6.19.* In trees; generally conifers; often with red males; rump greenish- 

3'ellow p. 180. ? American Crossbill. 

6.05.** In flocks; generalh^ in conifers; often with rose-red males ; wing- 
bars white; rump greenish-yellow. 

p. 179. ? White-winged Crossbill. 



KEY FOR APRIL 39 

5.61. (Arrives April 15.) In trees; head slaty-gray; line to and around eye 

white p. 132. Solitary Vireo. 

5.41. (Arrives April 20.) Perches in trees in flycatcher fashion; wing-bars 

white; note sharp, ise-6ic' . . . . p. 202. Least Flycatcher. 
5.00.* In flocks in trees; under parts streaked ; bar on wing yellow. 

p. 176. Pine Finch. 
4.41. (Arrives April 10.) Restless in trees and thickets; song loud and 

musical; eye prominent . . p. 80. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 
4.07. Restless in trees and thickets; top of head yellow or orange, inclosed 

in black; note tsee-tsee-tsee. 

p. 81. Golden-crowned Kinglet. 



6.28. Along water-courses ; under parts streaked with black ; tail constantly 
tilted; song loud and ringing. 

p. 107. Louisiana Water-thrush. 

Yellow without Black. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 

B. 

5.65. In trees; rump, crown-patch, and patches on sides of upper belly 
yellow; throat white p. 120. Myrtle Warbler. 

5.52. In pines; occasionally on the ground; wing-bars white; throat yel- 
low p. 111. Pine Warbler, 

5.43. In trees; often on the ground; crown chestnut; under parts bright 
yellow ; tail constantly wagged ... p. 110. Palm Warbler 

Black and White. 

A. 

[10.00 Size of Robin.] 
g.40. On trunks or large limbs; white stripe down middle of back; wings 

barred with black and white . . p. 221. Hairy Woodpecker. 
8.56. On trunks or large limbs ; back speckled with black and white ; white 

stripe along edge of wing p. 220. Sapsucker. 

8.35. Head black; tail black and white; scratching on the ground near 

bushes p. 152. Towhee. 

6.83. On trunks or large limbs; white stripe down middle of back; wings 

barred with black and white . p. 223. Downy Woodpecker. 
[6.33, Size of English Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.07. On limbs or trunks; crown black; back bluish-gray; under parts 

white p. 8(5. White-bellied Nuthatch. 

5.65. In trees; throat white; black patches on sides of upper breast; sides 
of belly, crown patch, and rump, yellow. 

p. I -21). Myrtle Warbler. 
5.30. On trunks or large limbs; striped black and white. 

p. 12!). Black and White Warbler. 



40 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

5.27. In trees; top of head and throat black; cheeks white; wings gray. 

p. 84. Chickadee. 
4.62. On trunks or large limbs; crown and line through eye black; back 
bluish; under parts reddish-brown or buffy. 

p. 85. Red-bellied Nuthatch. 

A". 

12.00. In woods; often about logging-camps; forehead white; nape black. 

p. 197. Canada Jay. 
10.32. On tops of trees or bushes; wings and tail black and white. 

p. 138. ]Xrorthern Shrike. 
8.75. On trunks and large limbs; back barred with black and white. 

p. 221. American Three-toed Woodpecker. 

Black. 



ig.30. Entire plumage black p. 196. Crow. 

12-13.50. In flocks in evergreens, or icalJcing on ground; tail long; head 

lustrous blue-blackj p. 184. Crow Blackbird. 

[10.00. Size of Robin.] 
9.55. In flocks/iear water; no red or white on wing; eye white. 

p. 186. Rusty Blackbird. 
g.51. Near water; red on shoulders or white bar on upper wing; note 

oharee p. 191. Red-winged Blackbird. 

8.00. (Arrives April 20.) Entire body blue-black; a large swallow, living 

in boxes set on poles p. 146. Purple Martin. 

7.92. On the ground in fields, or flying over, or lighting in trees; head 
dark, rich brown p. 192. Cowbird. 



8.50. (Only near New York city or Long Island Sound.) Walks on ground; 
purplish or greenish at close range; feathers of upper parts tipped 

with buff; bill yellow p. 195. cf Starling. 

8.50. Similar to above; more heavily spotted below. 

p. 195. ? Starling. 
A". 

17.00. Entire plumage black, except a red crest, and a white bar on wing. 

p. 219. Northern Pileated Woodpecker. 

9.50. On trunks or large limbs; back black; wings and tail black and 

white p. 222. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. 

Red, Scarlet, or Rose. 

10.00. Head black or gray; breast bay p. 73. Robin. 

8.56. On trunks or large limbs; whole top of head, and in male, throat 
dark red; back speckled black and white . p. 220. Sapsucker. 
8.35. On ground near bushes, or singing in trees; head black; sides of 
breast and belly chestnut; tail black and white. 

p. 152. Towhee. 



. KEY .FOR APRIL 41 

A'. 
8.25, (As far north as Central Park, N. Y.) Entire plumage red or red- 
dish ; crest conspicuous p. 151. Cardinal. 



g.o8. Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars white . p. 183. Pine Grosbeak. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.22. In trees or feeding on ground; entire upper parts and throat crimson; 

brightest on head and rump ... p. 181. cT Purple Finch. 
6.19.* Entire bird vermilion-red; regular in northern New England. 

p. 180. American Crossbill. 
6.05.** Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars white; not so irregular in northern 

New England p. 179. White-winged Crossbill. 

5.32.** In flocks in birches or in weedy patches; crown dark crimson; 

breast and rump often pink p. 178. Redpoll. 

4.62.* On limbs of trees; back bluish; head black ; line over eye white; 

under parts reddish-brown . p. 85. Ked-bellied Nuthatch. 

Blue. 

A. 

13.02. Near water; much white showing in wings and tail; bill long and 

pointed p. 224. Kingfisher. 

11.74. In woodland, or in trees near houses; much white in wings and tail. 

p. 198. Blue Jay. 
[10.00. Size of Robin.] 

8.00. Blue-black. (See under Black) . . . p. 146. Purple Martin. 
7.00. Upper parts deep blue; breast reddish-brown. 

p. 71. d' Bluebird. 
7.00. Upper parts grayish; wings and tail bluish. 

p. 71. ? Bluebird. 
6.95. Upper parts deep blue; tail long and deeph' forked; throat chestnut; 
rest of under parts whitish or salmon. 

p. 144. Barn Swallow. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.07. On trunks and limbs; back bluish-gray; crown black; under parts 

white p. 80. White-bellied Nuthatch. 

5.90. Upper parts greenish-blue; tail merely notched; under parts wliite. 

11. 14;{. Tree Swallow. 
4.62.* On trunks and limbs; back bluish; crown and line through eye 
black; under parts reddisli-brown or huffy. 

p. 85. Red-beUied Nuthatch. 



KEY FOE MAY 

Bro-wn or Bro"wnish. 

A. 

12.20 ) In trees; very slender; tail long; under parts white. 

or > p. 227. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 

11.83) p. 226. Black-biUed Cuckoo. 

12.00. Flies from or to trees; rump white .... p. 216. Flicker. 
11.42. Reddish-brown; tail long; sings high in trees; flies into bushes when 

disturbed p. 95. Thraslier. 

10.75. AVhistles in tree-tops, or from posts; feeds in grass; outer tail-feathers 

white . . . . = . p. 190. Meadowlark. 

9.75. Flutters from ground in woods; band across neck white. 

p. 213. Whip-poor-will. 
g.Ol. In trees; notes loud and harsh; belly yellow; tail reddish-brown. 

p. 207. Crested Flycatcher. 
8-35- On ground, or in thickets; tail-feathers tipped with white; flanks 

reddish-brown . , p. 152. ? Chewink. 

8.29. On ground or on low limbs; head reddish-brown; breast white; 

spotted with black; song beautiful . p. 79. Wood Thrush. 

8.25. (Xorth as far as Central Park, X. Y.) Crest, wings, and tail tinged 

with reddish p. 151. ? Cardinal. 

8.12. In trees; streaked with grayish; whitish line over eye; white wing- 
bar; bill very large . . p. 150. 9 Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 
8.00. Near swampy ground; blackish-brown; often with black red-shoul- 
dered males p. 191. ? Red-winged Blackbird. 

7.52. In wet woods ; upper parts tawny-brown ; breast not distinctly spotted. 

p. 78. Wilson's Thrush. 
7.58-7.00. On ground or low limbs; breast white, spotted with black; 
upper parts grayish-brown , p. 77. Gray-cheeked Thrush. 
7.17. Like above, but eye-ring white; cheek buffy. 

p. 76. Olive-backed Thrush. 

7.17. (Generally only till May 10.) On ground, or low limbs; breast 

white, spotted with black ; tail reddish-brown, often slowly raised. 

p. 74. Hermit Thrush. 
7.25. Grayish-brown ; icallcing on ground, or lighting in trees, often with 

black males p. 192. ? Cowbird. 

7.19. In trees; often in flocks; head and throat rich brown; bellr yellow- 
ish; tail-feathers tipped with 3-ellow; head crested. 

p. 139. Cedar-bird. 
7.12. In grassy fields; under parts yellowish-brown, unstreaked; gene- 
rally with black and white males ... p. 193. 2 Bobolink. 



KEY FOR MAY 43 

6.99. About farm-buildings, or near water; tail constantly jerked; flies 
out into the air after insects p. 206. Phoebe. 

6.88. Feeds on ground; head marked with bright black and white; no 

yellow line over eye; throat not white. 

p. 164. White-crowned Sparrow. 
6.74. Feeds on ground; head marked with bright black and white; line 
over eye yellow ; throat white. 

p. 163. White-throated Sparrow. 
[6,33. Size of English Sparrow.] 

B. 
6.30. Wherever there are bushes and water; breast streaked, with dark 

blotch in centre p. 157. Song Sparrow. 

6.23. In trees; entire under parts grayish-white, unstreaked. 

p. 136. Red-eyed Vireo. 
6.17. In dry woods; on ground or low limbs; breast streaked with black. 

p. 108. Oven-bird. 
6.12. In pastures or near cultivated fields; breast streaked; outer tail- 
feathers white p, 172. Vesper Sparrow. 

5.89. In marshes; breast dark, unstreaked; crown chestnut. 

p. 155. Swamp Sparrow. 

5.85. In salt marshes p. 167. Sharp-tailed Sparrow. 

5.80. In trees; common in village streets; entire under parts white, un- 
streaked p. 13'4. Warbhng Vireo. 

5.68. In grass-land ; breast streaked . . p. 170. Savanna Sparrow. 

5.68. In bushy pastures and hillsides; often in cedars; breast unstreaked; 
song musical p. 160. Field Sparrow. 

5.59. In bushes or small trees; unstreaked; tail nervously twitched to the 
side p. 149. 9 Indigo-bird. 

5.52. In pines; upper parts brownish ; under parts dull whitish; wing- 
bars dull white p. 111. ? Pine Warbler. 

5.38. (Not common north of latitude of Boston.) In dry sterile fields ; breast 
buffy, unstreaked; song insect-like. 

p. 169. Grasshopper Sparrow. 

5.37. Near houses or farming land, or in cedars; breast ashy, unstreaked; 
song unmusical p. 161. Chipping Sparrow. 

5.20. In salt marshes or cat-tail swamps; clings to stalks with tail cocked; 
song bubbling . . . .p. 89. Long-billed Marsh Wren. 

5.00. In wet meadows, or on ill-drained hillsides; breast streaked; sings 
from low perch; note fee-sic'; rare. 

p. 168. Henslow's Sparrow. 

5.00. In orchards or about buildings; tail often cocked over back. 

p. 93. House Wren. 

4.00. In marshy meadoAVs; clings to stalk-s with tail cocked; song not 

bubbling p. 90. Short-biUed Marsh Wren. 

B'. 

6.00. In salt marshes; not found north of Long Island Sound. 

p. 165. Seaside Sparrow. 

5.50. (Very rare in southern Connecticut; not unoonuuon in llio lower 
Hudson Valley.) Skulks in bushes; whistles loudly ; conspicuous 
whitish line over eye p. 94. Carolina W'ren. 



44 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

B". 

5.35. In trees, chiefly spruces; crown brownish-gray. 

p. 83, Hudsonian Chickadee. 

Gray or Grayish. 

A'. 

10.00. Breast reddish ; in trees or on ground .... p. 73. Kobin. 

10.00. Lengthwise on limbs, or on exposed stones; bar across wing white; 

wings long; flight swallow-like ... p. 212. Nighthawk. 

8.94. Dark slaty-gray; in bushes, or feeding on ground . p. 95. Catbird. 

6.gg. About farm buildings or near water; flies out into the air after insects; 

tail constanth' jerked p. 206. Phoebe. 

6.53. (After Ma}' 15.) In groves or street trees; wing-bars white; flies out 
into the air after insects; song j^ee-ee-wee. 

p. 205. "Wood Pewee. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 



6.23. In trees ; breast whitish, unstreaked . p. 136. Red-eyed Vireo. 
6.22. In trees or occasionally on ground; brownish-gray, streaked; often 
with rose-colored males .... p. 181. § Purple Finch. 
6.ig.* In flocks, often with red males; note when flying ]cip, hip. 

p. 180. ? Red CrossbiU. 
6.05.** In flocks, in trees or on ground, sometimes Avith red males; wing- 
bars white p. 179. ? "White-winged Crossbill. 

6.og. (Rare late in May.) In alder thickets; note quee-quee'. 

p. 202. Alder Flycatcher. 
5.41. In trees in open country; note emphatic tse-bic'; flies out into the air 
after insects; sits upright on a perch. 

p. 202. Least Flycatcher. 
6.04. On ground near water; tail constantly wagged. 

p. 108. ^Vater-thrush. 
5.80. In trees; common in village streets; song warbling. 

p. 134. Warbling Vireo. 
5.61. (Generally on]}' till May 10.) In trees; head dark; notes rich and 

sweet p. 132. Solitary Vireo. 

5.56. (After May 15.) Restless in trees; sides streaked with black. 

p. 115. ? Black-poll "Warbler. 

5.28. (After May 15.) In trees; generally with other small birds; spot 

on wing white . p. 121. $ Black-throated Blue "Warbler. 

5.27. (Rare north of Connecticut.) In thickets; under parts yellowish ; 

)iote loud, emphatic p. 131. "White-eyed Vireo. 

5.00. (Rare, except in northern New York and New England.) In trees; 
under parts streaked; bars on wing yellow. 

p. 176. Pine Siskin. 

4.41. (May 1-10.) Restless in trees and thickets; eye prominent; song 

loud and musical . . . . p. 80. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 



6.28. Near water; under parts streaked with black; tail constantly wagged. 

p. 107. Louisiana "Water-thrush. 



KEY FOR MAY 45 

6.00. (As far north as Orange, N. J., and Staten Island.) In trees; upper 

parts gray; crest conspicuous . . p. 85. Tufted Titmouse. 
5.75. (As far north as Sing Sing, N. Y. ; absent in New England.) Sits 
upright on a perch, or flies out for insects. 

p. 203. Green-crested Flycatcher. 

5.51. Back greenish-gray; head striped' with black and buff. 

p. 128. 'Worm-eatirLg "Warbler. 

B". 

6.27. Head and upper breast slaty-gray ; outer tail-feathers white. 

p. 158. Junco. 
6.19. In trees; generally conifers ; often with red males; rump greenish- 
yellow p. 180. ? American Crossbill. 

6.05. In trees; generally in conifers, at high altitudes; wing-bars white; 
rump greenish-yellow . p. 179. ? "White- winged Crossbill. 
4.07. Active in trees, generally conifers; top of head 3'ellow or orange, 
inclosed in black; note isee-tsee-tsee. 

p. 81. Golden-crowned Kinglet. 

Yellovr or Orange, -without Black. 

A. 

10.75. Breast yellow ; back brown; in meadows, p. 190. Meadowlark. 
[lo.oo. Size of Robin.] 

9.01. Bell}^ yellow ; throat and breast ashy; note loud. 

p. 207. Crested Flycatcher. 
7.44. (Rare north of Connecticut.) In thickets and clearings; upper parts 
greenish ; throat and breast bright yellow ; very noisy. 

p. 102. Yellow-breasted Chat. 
7.53. In trees; under parts and middle of back dull orange; wing-bars 

white p. 188. 9 Baltimore Oriole. 

7.32. (Rare north of Connecticut.) Under parts dull yellow; upper parts 

grayish-green p. 189. 5 Orchard Oriole. 

7.25. In trees; under parts greenish-yellow; upper parts olive-green. 

p. 147. ? Tanager. 
[6.33. Size of Enghsh Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.17. Crown dull orange; back brownish; breast spotted. 

p. 108. Oven-bird. 
5.95. Throat bright yellow; in trees; not restless; song loud and rich. 

p. 133. Yellow-throated Vireo. 
5.65. Rump yellow; back brownish; restless in trees. 

p. 120. 9 Myrtle Warbler. 
5.61. (Arrives May 10.) Low in woodland; under parts yellow. 

p. 100. 9 Canadian Warbler. 

5.52. Generally in pines; throat bright yellow; song rippling. 

p. in. Pine Warbler. 

5.43. (]\fayl-10.) Under parts bright yellow; crown reddisii-brown ; tail 

frequently wagged .... p. 110. Yellow Pjilm Warbler. 



46 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

5.41. Restless in trees and thickets; sides of breast, wing, and band across 

tail yellow p. 99. ? Kedstart. 

5.33. In bushes in wet places; yellow brightest on throat; back brownish 

p. 103. 9 Worthern Yellow-throat. 
5.27. (Rare north of Connecticut.) Sides washed with yellowish; eye ring 
and line to forehead yellow; note loud and emphatic. 

p. 131. White-eyed Vireo. 
5.25. Throat dull yellow; back black, streaked with whitish; wing-patch 

white; rare p. 114. ? Blackburnian "Warbler. 

5.14. In open woodland and roadside thickets; top of head yellow; cheeks 

and under parts white; narrow stripe along sides reddish-brown. 

p. 117. Chestnut-sided Warbler. 

5.10. In flocks, with bright yellow and black males; throat yellowish; back 

brownish p. 177. ? Goldfinch. 

5.10. Yellow all over; greenish-yellow on back; clear yellow^ or orange- 
yellow below p. 122. YeUow Warbler. 

5.00. Under parts and forehead yellow; very restless in trees; near water. 

p. 101. 9 Wilson's Warbler. 
5.00. (Rare, except in northern New York and New England.) "Wing- 
bars yellow; entire plumage streaked . p. 176. Pine Siskin. 
4.77. Under parts bright yellow; head ashy; very restless, in scrubby 
growth p. 126. Nashville Warbler. 

Yellow, Orange, or Chestnut, with Black. 

[10.00. Size of Robin.] 

A. 

7.53. In trees; head black; breast and belly reddish-orange ; wings black, 
Avith white wing-bars ; tail black and yellow. 

p. 188. Baltimore Oriole. 
7.32. (Rare north of Connecticut.) In trees; head black; breast and belly 
chestnut; no yellow in tail . . . p. 189. Orchard Oriole. 
[6.33. Size of Enghsh Sparrow.] 



5.65. In trees, often flying out for an insect; rump yellow; patch on each 
side of breast yellow; throat white, p. 120. Myrtle Warbler. 
5.63. (Very rare late in May.) Belly yellow; head and throat bluish- 
gray ; breast black ; haunts dry banks. 

p. 105. Mourning "Warbler. 
5.61. Low in wet places; under parts yellow; necklace of spots across 

breast black p. 100. Canadian "Warbler. 

5.41. Restless in trees or thickets ; head lustrous black; orange or yellow 
on sides of breast, wing, and tail; latter constantly spread. 

p. 99. Redstart. 
5.33. In bushes in wet places; throat yellow; broad band through eye 
black; song witchery, witchery, or wee-see' -sir, wee-see'-sir. 

p. 103. Northern "TeUow-throat. 



KEY FOR MAY 47 

5.25. (Rare in eastern New England.) In trees, often conifers; throat 
rich orange; head and back black, with wliite markings. 

p. 114. Blackburnian Warbler. 
5.12. (May 10-25.) In trees, often conifers; under parts bright yellow, 
streaked with deep black; head bluish-ash; rump yellow; back 
black with white on wings and tail. 

p. 118. Magnolia Warbler. 
5.10. In trees, especially pines; throat and sides of breast black; cheeks 
yellow; song hoarse but musical. 

p. 113. Black-throated Green Warbler. 
5.10. In scrubby pastures and edges of woodland; throat black; top of 
head and band on wing yellow ; song zee zee-zee-zee. 

p. 127. Golden- winged Warbler. 
5.10. In flocks; back and under parts bright yellow; forehead black; 
wings and tail black and white ; notes sweet. 

p. 177. Goldfinch. 
5.00. In trees in wet places; under parts yellow; cap black; rare. 

p. 101. Wilson's Warbler. 
In trees: under parts yellow, streaked with black; crown black; 

very rare . .^ p. 123v Cape May Warbler. 

In dr}^, scrubby woodland ; under parts bright yellow; sides streaked 
with black p. 109. Prairie Warbler. 



5.00. 


4.75- 


B'. 


5.67. 


5.40. 


4.80. 



In wet woods and in laurel ; back of head and throat black ; fore- 
head and cheeks yellow . . . . p. 102. Hooded Warbler. 
In wet woods; line over eye yellow; sides of throat black. 

p 106. Kentucky Warbler. 
In dry, scrubby growth; top of head and under parts yellow; line 
through eye black; wing-bars white. 

p. 127. Blue-winged Warbler. 
Black and White. 
A. 

[10.00. Size of Kobin.] 

9.40. On trunks or large limbs ; under parts white ; wings barred with black 
and white ; stripe of white down middle of back. 

p. 224. Hairy Woodpecker. 
8.51. Flying from exposed perch; under parts white; head black; tail 

black, tipped with white p. 208. Kingbird. 

8.35- Scratching in thickets, or singing from bush or low tree; head black; 
sides chestnut; tail-feathers tipped with white. 

p. 152. Towhee. 
8.12. In trees; head and back black; wings and tail black and white; 
breast white, with a spot of rose in centre. 

p. 150. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 
7.25. In or near grassy fields; under parts black ; uiijior ]iarts cliietly ilull 

white p. li)3. Bobolink. 

6.83. On trunks or large limbs; under parts white; wings barred black and 
white ; stripe of white down middle of back. 

p. 223. Downy Woodpecker. 



48 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

B. 

[6.33. Size of Englisli Sparrow.] 

6.07. On limbs or trunks; crown black; under parts white; back bluish- 
gray p. 86. "White-beUied nXTuthatcli. 

5.56. (May 15-30.) Restless in trees, not on the large limbs; crown plain 
black; back and breast streaked. 

p. 115. Black-poll "Warbler. 

5.30. On trunks and large limbs of trees; head black, with white line 

through centre ... p. 129. Black and "White Warbler. 

5.28. In trees; throat and sides black; upper parts dark bluish; spot on 

wing white .... p. 121. Black-tbroated Blue "Warbler. 

5.27. In trees; top of head and throat black; cheeks white; wings gray. 

p. 84. Chickadee. 
4.62.* On limbs and trunks; head and line through eye black; back 
bluish ; under parts reddish-brown or buffy. 

p. 85. Red-bellied Nuthatch. 
A". 

12.00. In woods; often about logging-camps; forehead white; nape black. 

p. 197. Canada Jay. 
g.OO. On tops of trees or bushes ; wings and tail black and white. 

p. 137. Loggerhead Shrike. 
8.75. On trunks and large limbs; back barred with black and white. 

p. 221. American Three-toed Woodpecker. 

8.56. On'trunks or large limbs ; back speckled with black and white; white 

stripe along edge of wing p. 220. Sapsueker. 

Black. 
A. 

19.30. Entire plumage black p. 196. Crow. 

13.50-12.00. In pines or walking on ground; tail long; head lustrous blue- 
black p. 184. Crow Blackbird. 

[10.00. Size of Robin.] 
9.55. (May 1-10.) Near water; no red or white on wing; eye white. 

p. 186. Rusty Blackbird. 
9.51. Near water; red on shoulders, or white bar on upper wing. 

p. 191. Red-winged Blackbird. 

7.92. On ground in fields, or flying over, or lighting in trees; head dark 

brown p. 192. Cowbird. 

A'. 
8.50. (Only near New York city or Long Island Sound.) Purplish or green- 
ish at close range; feathers of upper parts tipped with buff; bill 

yellow p. 195. Starling. 

A". 

17.00. In woods; head with long red crest. 

p. 219. Pileated Woodpecker. 
9.50. On trunks or large limbs of trees; back plain black; crown in male 
with yellow patch. 

p. 222. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. 



KEY FOR MAY 49 

Red, Scarlet, or Rose. 
A. 
8.35. On ground near bushes, or singing in trees; head and upper breast 
black; belly white; tail black and white; sides of breast and 

belly chestnut p. 152. Towhee. 

8.12. In trees; spot of rose on breast; head black; wings and tail black 

and white p. 150. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 

7.25. In trees; whole body red; wings and tail black. 

p. 147. Scarlet Tanager. 
A'. 
8.25. (As far north as Central Park, N. Y.) Entire plumage red or red- 
dish ; crest conspicuous p. 151. Cardinal. 

A". 
8.56. On large limbs and trunks; top of head and in male throat dark 
red; back speckled with white; edge of black wing white. 

p. 220. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 

B. 
6.22. Entire upper parts and throat crimson, brightest on head and rump. 

p. 181. Purple Finch. 
6.19.* Entire bird vermilion-red; regular in northern New England. 

p. 180. American Crossbill. 

6.05.*"* Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars white ; not so uncommon in 

northern New England . p. 179. White-winged Crossbill. 

5.63 In trees; crown, throat, upper breast, and sides bay; wing-bars 

white p. 116. Bay-breasted "Warbler. 

5.25. (Rare in eastern Ncav England.) In trees, often evergreen; throat 
rich orange; back black, streaked with whitish; patch on wing 
white p. 114. Blackburnian "Warbler. 

Blue. 
A. 

13.02. Perched near water, or flying over it; much white showing in wings 

and tail; bill long and pointed .... p. 224. Kingfisher. 

11.74. In woodland, or in trees near houses; much white in wings and tail; 

band across breast black; crest often raised p. 198. Blue Jay. 

[10.00. Size of Robin.] 

7.01. Upper parts deep blue; breast reddish-brown p. 71. Bluebird. 
7.01. Upper parts grayish; breast pale reddish; wings nml tail bluisli. 

p. 71. 9 Bluebird. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.07. On limbs and trunks of trees; back bluish-gray; top of head black; 
under parts white ... p. 86. "White-beUied Nuthatch. 



50 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

5.59. Sings from a high perch, near bushes; entire body deep blue. 

p. 149. Indigo-bird. 
5.28. (Arrives May 10.) In trees; throat black; upper parts dark blue; 

spot on wing white, p. 121. Black-throated Blue "Warbler. 
4.73. In trees; head and black bluish-gray; throat yellowish with brown 

spot p. 124. Panda "Warbler. 

B". 
4.62. On limbs and trunks of trees; under parts reddish-brown; black 
line through eye .... p. 85. Ked-bellied Nuthatch. 



KEY FOE SUMMER 
(JUNE, JULY, AUGUST) 

Brown or BroTvnish. 

A. 

12.20. I In trees; very slender; tail long; Yellow-billed ) nuo^mn 
11.83. / under parts white . . p. 226. Black-billed » 

12.00. Flies from or to trees ; rump white p. 216. Flicker. 

11.42. Upper parts reddish-brown; tail very long; flies into bushes when 

disturbed p. 95. Thrasher. 

10.75. Whistles in tree-tops, or from posts; feeds in grass; outer tail- 
feathers white p. 190. Meadowlark. 

10.00. Breast bay p. 73. Kobin. 

9.75. Flutters from ground in woods as if bewildered; band across upper 

breast white or buff p. 213. Whip-poor-will. 

g.Oi. In trees; notes loud and harsh; belly yellow; tail reddish-brown. 

p. 207. Crested Flycatcher. 
8.35. On ground under bushes; tail-feathers tipped with white; flanks 

reddish-brown p. 152. ? Towhee. 

8.29. On ground in woods, or on low limbs; breast white, heavily spotted; 

head reddish-brown p. 79. Wood Thrush. 

8.12. In trees; breast lightly streaked; line over eye and bar on wing 
white; no red on breast' p. 150. ? Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 
8.00. In bushes near water; blackish-brown; streaked. 

p. 191. 9 Red-winged Blackbird. 
7.75. (Very rare in southern and eastern New England.) Walks or runs 
on the ground in grass}' iields; throat tinged with yelloAv; stripe 
through eye, sides of tliroat, and patch on breast black. 

p. 199. Prairie Horned Lark, 
7.52. In wet woods; upper parts tawny-brown; breast not spotted with 

black p. 78. Wilson's Thrush. 

7.25. Walking on ground in llelds, or lighting in trees; unstreaked. 

p. 192. ? Cowbird. 
7.19. In trees; head and neck snuff-brown; line tlirough eye velvety- 
black; crest often raised; tail-feathers tipped with yellow. 

p. 139. Cedar-bird. 
7.17. (Rare in eastern and southern New England after May 10.) Breast 
spotted with black; tail reddish-brown. 

p. 74. Hermit Thrush. 
7.12. In grass-fields; under parts yellowish-brown : unstreaked. 

p. 193. ^' Bobolink. 



52 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

6.99. About farm buildings, or near water; tail constantly jerked; breast 
unstreaked; flies out from perch for insects . p. 206. Phoebe. 

A" 

12.00. In woods and about camps. Entire plumage sooty brown. 

p. 197. ///;. Canada Jay. 
7.17. Breast white, spotted with black; eye-ring white; cheek bufty. 

p. 76. Olive-backed Thrush. 
7.17. On ground, or low limbs; breast spotted with black; tail reddish- 
brown p. 74. Hermit Thrush. 

7.00. vOn mountains above 3000 ft.) On ground, or on low limbs; breast 
white, spotted with black ... p. 77. Bicknell's Thrush. 
6.74. On ground, or in bushes; head marked with black and white; line 
over eye yellow; throat white. 

p. 163. "White-throated Sparrow. 

[6.33. Size of Enghsh Sparrow.] 
B. 

6.30. Wherever there are bushes and water: breast streaked, with dark 
blotch in centre p. 157. Song Sparrow. 

6.23. In trees: entire under parts grayish-white, unstreaked. 

p. 136. Ked-eyed Vireo. 

6.17. In dr}' woods, on ground or low limbs: teeters as it walks; breast 
streaked with black p. 108. Oven-bird. 

6.12. In pastures and near cultivated lields; breast streaked. 

p. 172. Vesper Sparrow. 

5.89. In marshes ; breast dark, unstreaked; cap chestnut. 

p. 155. Swamp Sparrow. 

5.85. In salt marshes p. 167. Sharp-taOed Sparrow. 

5.80. In trees; common iu village streets; entire under parts white, un- 
streaked p. 134. Warbhng Vireo. 

5.68. In grass land ; breast streaked . . p. 170. Savanna Sparrow. 

5.68. In bushy pastures and hillsides; often in cedars: breast unstreaked; 
song musical p. 160. Field Sparrow. 

5.59. In bushes or small trees: unstreaked; tail nervously twitched to the 
side p. 149. i" Indigo-bird. 

5.52. In pines; upper parts brownish; under parts dull whitish; Aving- 
bars dull white p. 111. $ Pine Warbler. 

5.38. (jSTot common north of latitude of Boston.) In dry, sterile fields ; song 
insect-like; breast unstreaked p. 169. Grasshopper Sparrow. 

5.37. Near houses or farming land, or in cedars; breast ashy white, un- 
streaked; song unmusical . . p. 161. Chipping Sparrow. 

5.20. In marshes; clings to stalks with tail cocked; song bubbling. 

p. 89. Long-biUed Marsh Wren. 

5.00. In wet meadows, or ill-drained hillsides: breast narrowly streaked; 
note^^ee'-sic; rare p. 168. Henslow's Sparrow. 

5.00. In orchards, or about buildings ; tail often cocked over back. 

p. 93. House Wren. 

4.00. In wet meadows; clings to stalks Avith tail cocked. 

p. 90. Short-billed Marsh Wren. 



KEY FOR SUMMER 53 

B'. 

6.00. (Not found north of Rhode Island.) In salt marshes. 

p. 165. Seaside Sparrow. 

5.50. (Rare in southern Connecticut, not uncommon in the lower Hudson 
Valley.) Skulks in bushes; whistles loudly ; conspicuous whitish 
line over eye p. 94. Carolina "Wren. 

B". 

6.27. On ground, or in trees; brownish-gray; outer tail-feathers white. 

p. 158. ? Junco. 
5.66. Clinging close to trunks of trees . . p. 88. Brown Creeper. 
5.35. (Only on mountains above 3000 ft. except in northern Maine.) In 
trees, chiefly spruces; croAvn brownish-gray. 

p. 83. Hudsonian Chickadee. 
4.06. Dark brown ; generally on ground; in damp forests. 

p. 91. Winter "Wren. 

Gray or Grayish. 

A. 

10.00. Breast reddish; in trees, or on ground . . . . p. 73. Robin. 
10.00. Lengthwise on limbs, or on exposed rocks; bar across wing white; 

wings very long p. 212. Nighthawk. 

8.94. Dark slaty-gray; top of head black; in bushes, or feeding on 

ground p. 95. Catbird. 

6.99. About farm-buildings, or near water; flies out from perch for insects; 

tail constantly jerked p. 206. Phoebe. 

6.53. In groves, or street trees; flies out from perch for insects; wing-bars 
white p. 205. "Wood Pewee. 

A". 

12.00. In woods, often about camps ; forehead white; nape black. 

p. 197. Canada Jay. 
12.00. Entire plumage sooty slate . .' . p. 197. Im. Canada Jay. 
g.o8. Slaty-gray; wing-bars white ... p. 183. 5 Pine Grosbeak. 
9.00. On tops of trees or bushes; wings and tail black and white. 

p. 137. Loggerhead Shrike. 
7.39. On dead trees in clearings or burnt tracts; flies out from perch after 
insects; note a wild whistle, p. 206. Ohve-sided Flycatcher. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.23. In trees ; breast white, unstreaked . . p. 13G. Red-eyed Vireo. 
6.22. In trees, or occasionally on ground; brownish-gray; streaked all 
over ; line over eye white .... p. 181. V Purple Finch. 
5.80. In trees, common in village streets; breast unstreaked. 

p. 134. Warbhng Vireo. 
5.61. (Rare south of latitude 4-'!.) In cool Avoods ; head dark ; breast un- 
streaked ; line to and around eye white. 

p. 132. Sohtary Vireo. 



54 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

5.41. In trees in open country; note an emphatic tse-blc' ; sits upright on 
perch or flies out after insects. 

p. 202. Least Flycatcher. 
5.28. (Rare south of latitude 43, except in western Xew England.) Low 
in woods; spot on wing white. 

p. 121. 9 Black-throated Blue "Warbler. 

5.27. (Rare north of Connecticut.) In thickets; under parts yellowish; 

note loud and emphatic .... p. 131. 'White-eyed. Vireo. 

B'. 

6.28. Near water; under parts streaked with black; tail constantly wagged. 

p. 107. Louisiana "Water-thrush. 

6.00. (As far north as Orange, X. J., and Staten Island.) In trees; upper 

parts gray; crest conspicuous . . p. 85. Tufted Titmouse. 
5.75. (As far north as Sing Sing, X. Y. ; absent in New England.) Sits 
upright on a perch, or flies out for insects. 

p. 203. Green-crested Flycatcher. 
5.51. Back greenish-gray; head striped with black and buff. 

p. 128. "Worm-eating "Waxbler. 
B". 

6.27. Head and upper breast slaty-gray; outer tail-feathers white. 

p. 158. Jvmco. 
6.19. In trees, generally conifers, often with red males; rump greenish- 
yellow p. 180. ? American Crossbill. 

6.og. In alder thickets : sits upright on a perch: note que e-quee' . 

p. 202. Alder Flycatcher. 

6.05. In trees, generally conifers, at high altitudes; wing-bars white; 

rump greenish-yellow . p. 179. ? "White-winged Crossbill. 

6.04. On ground near water ; tail constantly wagged ; breast streaked with 

black '. . p. 108. "Water-thrush. 

5.63. Entire under parts yellowish; in spruces; notepee-a. 

p. 204. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. 
5.56. Active in trees, generally conifers; sides streaked with black. 

p. 115. 9 Black-poU ^Warbler. 

5.28. In trees or underbrush ; under parts unstreaked; small spot on wing 

white . . . . p. 121. 9 Black-throated Blue "Warbler. 
4.07. Active in trees, generally conifers ; top of head yellow or orange, 
inclosed in black: note tsee-tsee-tsee, thin and high. 

p. 81. Golden-crowned Kinglet. 

Yellow or Orange without Black. 

A. 

10.75. Breast yellow with black crescent: back brown: in grassland. 

p. 190. Meadowlark. 
[10.00. Size of Robin.] 

9.01. Belly yellow; throat and breast ashy; tail reddish-brown. 

p. 207. Crested Flycatcher. 

7.53. In trees; under parts and middle of back dull orange; wing-bars 

white p. 188. 9 Baltimore Oriole. 



KEY FOR SUMMER 55 

7.32. (Rare north of Connecticut.) Under parts dull yellow; upper parts 

grayish-brown p. 189. ? Orchard Oriole. 

7.25. In trees; under parts greenish-yellow ; upper parts olive-green. 

p. 147. ? Tanager. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 



6.17. In woodland; crown dull orange; breast spotted. 

p. 108. Oven-bird. 

5.95. Throat and breast bright yellow; in all but evergreen trees; not 
restless; song loud and rich ; wing-bars white. 

p. 133. Yellow-throated Vireo. 

5.52. Generally in pines ; yellow brightest on throat ; wing-bars dull white ; 
song rippling p. 111. Pine "Warbler. 

5.41. Restless in trees and thickets; sides of breast, wing, and band; across 
tail yellow p. 99. ? Redstart. 

5.33. In bushes in wet places; yellow brightest on throat; back brown- 
ish p. 103. ? Northern YeUow-throat. 

5.27. (Rare north of Connecticut.) Sides washed with yellowish; eye-ring 
and line to forehead yellow; notes loud and emphatic. 

p. 131. "White-eyed "Vireo. 

5.25. (Rare south of latitude 43.) In evergreens; throat dull orange; wing- 
bar white p. 114. $ Blackburnian "Warbler. 

5.14. In open woodland, and roadside thickets; top of head 3'ellow; under 
parts white; cheeks white; narrow stripe along flanks reddish- 
brown p. 117. Chestnnt-sided 'Warbler. 

5.10. Often with bright yellow and black males; throat yellowish; back 
brownish ; wings and tail black and white. 

p. 177. ? Goldfinch. 

5.10. Yellow all over, brighter below; back greenish-yellow. 

p. 122. YeUow "Warbler. 

4.77. Under parts bright yellow; head ashy; very restless in scrubby 
growth p. 126. Nashville "Warbler. 

B". 

5.65. In trees, generally conifers; rump yellow; back brownish. 

p. 120. ? Myrtle Warbler. 
5.61. Low in woodland; under parts yellow. 

p. 100. 9 Canadian "Warbler. 
5.25. In trees, generally conifers; throat dull yellow; back black, streaked 
with white ; wing-patch white. 

p. 114. 9 Blackburnian "Warbler. 
5.00. Wing-bar yellow; under parts streaked . p. 176. Pine Siskin. 

Yellow, Orange or Chestnut, with Black. 
A. 

8.35. Scratcliing under bushes, or Hying through them, or singing from 
bush or low tree; head black: tail black, tippod with wliito; sidos 
bay p. ir>2. Towhee. 



56 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

7,53. In trees; head black; breast and belly reddish-orange; wings black, 
with white wing-bars; tail black and yellow. 

]). 188. Baltimore Oriole. 
7.32. (Rare north of Connecticut.) In trees; head black; breast and belly 
chestnut; no yellow in tail ... p. 189. Orchard Oriole. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 



5.41. Restless in trees or thickets ; head black : orange or yellow on 

sides of breast, wing, and tail p. 99. Redstart. 

5.33. Low in thickets, generalh' in wet places; throat and breast yellow; 
broad band through eye black. 

p. 103. Worthern YeUow-throat. 
5.10. In trees, especially evergreens; throat and sides of breast black; 
cheeks yellow; song wheezy; common. 

p. 113. Blaek-throated Green "Warbler. 
5.10. In scrubb}' pastures, or edges of woodland; throat black; top of head 
and band on wing yellow; rare. 

p. 127. Golden-winged "Warbler. 
5.10. On the ground, in trees, or flying; back and under parts bright yel- 
low; forehead black; wings and tail black and white. 

p. 177. Goldfinch. 

4.75. In second growth; under parts bright yellow; sides streaked with 

black p. 109. Prairie "Warbler. 



5.67. In wet woods and in laurel; back of head and throat black ; fore- 
head and cheeks yelloAv .... p. 102. Hooded "Warbler. 
5.40. In wet woods ; line over eye yellow; sides of throat black. 

p. 106. Kentucky "Warbler. 
4.80. Top of head and under parts yellow ; line through eye black ; 
wing-bars white or yellowish-white. 

p. 127. Blue-winged Warbler. 

B". 

5.65. In trees; rump, crown-patch and patches on sides of breast yellow; 

patches on sides of upper belly black. 

p. 120. Myrtle "Warbler. 
5.63. In thickets, chiefly near the ground; head and throat bluish-gray; 

breast black; bell}' yellow . . p. 105. Mourning "Warbler. 
5.63. In trees, generally conifers; forehead and cheeks black; crown 

chestnut; throat, upper breast, and sides bay. 

p. 116. Bay-breasted "Warbler. 
5.61. In wet thickets or mountain-sides; under parts yellow; necklace of 

spots across breast black ... p. 100. Canadian "Warbler. 
5.25. In trees, generally evergreens; throat orange; head and back black, 

streaked with whitish . . p. Hi. Blackburnian "Warbler. 
5.12. In trees, generally conifers; under parts bright yellow, streaked 

with black; head bluish-ash; back and wings black and white; 

rump yellow p. 118. Magnolia "Warbler. 



KEY FOR SUMMER 57 

5.00. In trees; under parts yellow, streaked with black; crown black. 

p. 123. Cape May Warbler. 

Black and White. 
[10.00. Size of Bobin.] 
A. ^ 

9.40. On trunks or large limbs; under parts and broad stripe down back 

white; wings barred, black and white ;.cf with red patch on head; 

rare except near deep woods . p. 224. Hairy "Woodpecker. 

8.51. Flying from exposed perch; under parts white;, head black; tail 

black, tipped with white p. 208. Kingbird. 

8.35. Scratching in thickets, or singing from bush or low tree; head 
black; sides chestnut; tail-feathers tipped with white. 

p. 152. Towhee. 
8.12. In trees, or in potato-fields; head and back black; wings and tail 
black and white; breast white with a spot of rose in centre. 

p. 150. Kose-breasted Grosbeak. 
7.25. In or near grassy fields; under parts black; upper parts chiefly 

white p. 193. Bobolink. 

6.83. On trunks or large limbs; under parts and broad stripe down back 

white; wings barred, black and white; cf with red patch on head. 

p. 223. Downy "Woodpecker. 

A". 

12.00. In woods, often about logging-camps, forehead white; nape black. 

p. 197. Canada Jay. 
9.00. On tops of trees or bushes; wings and tail black and white. 

p. 137. Loggerhead Shrike. 
8.75. On trunks and large limbs; back barred with black and white. 

p. 221. American Three-toed "Woodpecker. 

8.56. On trunks and large limbs; back speckled with black and white; 

white stripe along edge of wing .... p. 220. Sapsucker. 

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 
B. 

6.07. On limbs or trunks; crown black; under parts white; back bluish- 
gray p. 86. "White-bellied Nuthatch. 

5.30. On trunks and large limbs of trees; head black, with white line 
through centre; back streaked black and white. 

p. 129. Black and "White "Warbler. 

5.28. (Only from northern and western Massaclnisetts northward.) In 
woods; throat black; upper parts dark bluish; spot on wing 
white p. 121. Black-throated Blue "Warbler. 

5.27. In trees; top of head and throat black; cheeks white; wings gray. 

p. 84. Chickadee. 

B". 

5.56. Active in trees, generally conifers, chiefly at high altitiulos; crown 
plain black; back inu\ breast streaked. 

p. 115. Black-poll Warbler. 



58 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

5.28. In trees or underbrush; throat and sides black; upper parts dark- 
bluish; spot on wing white. 

p. 121. Black-throated Blue "Warbler. 
4.62. On trunks and limbs; top of head and line through eye black; 
back bluish; under parts reddish-brown or buffy. 

p. 85. Ked-bellied K"utliatch. 

Black. 

A. 

19.30. Entire plumage black p. 196. Crow. 

13.50-12.00. In pines, or walking on ground; tail long; head lustrous 

blue-black p. 184. Crow Blackbird. 

[10.00. Size of Robin.] 
g.51. Near water; red on shoulders, or white bar on upper wing. 

p. 191. Ked-winged Blackbird. 
7.92. Walking on ground, or lighting in trees; head deep brown. 

p. 192. Cowbird. 

A'. 
8.50. Only near New York city, or Long Island Sound; purplish or 
greenish at close range; feathers of upper parts tipped with buff; 
bill yellow p. 195. Starling. 

A". 

17.00. In woods; head with long red crest. 

p. 219. Pileated "Woodpecker. 

9.50. On trunks or large limbs; back plain black; wings and tail black 

and white ... p. 222. Arctic Three-toed "Woodpecker. 



Red, Scarlet, or Rose. 
A. 
8.12. In trees; spot of rose-red on white breast; head and throat black; 
wings and tail black and white. 

p. 150. Rose-breasted Grosbeak= 
7.25. In trees; whole body red; wings and tail black. 

p. 147. Scarlet Tanager. 

A'. 

8.25. (As far north as Central Park, N. Y.) Entire plumage red or red- 
dish ; crest conspicuous p. 151. Cardinal. 

A''. 

9.08. Entire plumage rose-red; wing-bars white 

p. 183. Pine Grosbeak. 
8.56. On trunks or large limbs; back speckled with white; whole top of 
head, and in male throat also, dark red . p. 220. Sapsucker. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 



KEY FOR SUMMER 59 

B. 
6.22. Entire upper parts and throat dull crimson; brightest on head and 

rump; bill stout p. 181. Purple Finch. 

5.25. (Rare south of latitude 43.) In trees, chiefly evergreens; throat rich 
orange; back black, streaked with white. 

p. 114. Blackburnian "Warbler. 

B". 

6.19, Entire plumage vermilion-red, brightest on head and rump. 

p. 180. American Crossbill. 
6.05. Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars white. 

p. 177. White-winged Crossbill. 

5.63. In trees, generally evergreen ; crown, throat, upper breast, and sides 

bay; wing-bars white ... p. 116. Bay -breasted Warbler. 

5.25. In trees, generally evergreen ; throat rich orange ; back black, 

streaked with whitish; patch on wing white. 

p. 114. Blackburnian Warbler. 
4.62. On limbs or trunks of trees; top of head and line through eye black; 
back bluish; under parts reddish-brown. 

p. 85. Ked-bellied Nuthatch. 
Blue. 



13.02. Perched near water, or flying over it; much white and no black 
showing on wings, tail, and throat; bill long and pointed; head 

crested p. 224. Kingfisher. 

11.74. In trees; much white showing in wings and tail, and black on 
head and breast; bill not long; head crested 

p. 198. Blue Jay. 
[10.00. Size of Robin.] 

7.01. Upper parts deep blue ; breast reddish . . . p. 71. Bluebird. 
7.01. Upper parts grayish; breast pale reddish; wings and tail bluish. 

p. 71. ? Bluebird. 
[6.33. Size of Enghsh Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.07. On limbs and trunks of trees; back bluish-gray; top of head black; 
under parts white ... p. 80. White-belHed JXTuthatch. 
5.59. Deep blue all over ; sings from a high perch. 

p. 149. Indigo-bird. 

BIRDS CONSTANTLY ON THE WING (SWALLOWS, 

SWIFT, ETC.) 
A. 

10.00. Wings long and narrow, a white bar on the under side ; birds gen- 
erally high in air p. 212. Nighthawk. 

8.00. Wings rather broad; birds very dark, or fomaU's light bolow. 

p. 14(.). Purple Martin. 
[6.33 Size of English Sparrow.] 



60 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

B. 

6.95. (Longer but not larger than an English Sparrow.) Glossy blue 
above; salmon or whitish underneath; two outer tail-feathers long 
and pointed p. 144. Barn Swallow. 

6.01. Back bluish; throat chestnut; belly whitish; rump brick red; tail 
almost square p. 145. Cliff or Eave Swallow. 

5.90. Iridescent greenish-blue above; pure white beneath; tail simply 
forked p. 143. 'White-bellied Swallow. 

5.43. Sooty brown, often apparently black; wings narrow and curved; 
flight bat-like; tail either cigar-shaped, or, when quickly spread, 
fan-shaped p. 210. Chimney Swift. 

5.20. Upper parts brown; under parts whitish; band across breast brown- 
ish; tail notched p. 142. Bank Swallow. 

B'. 

5.75. Upper parts brown; throat and breast dusky; no distinct band 
across breast p. 141. Kougli-winged Swallow. 



KEY FOE, AUTUMN 

(SEPTEMBER 15-NOVEMBER 15) 

Brown or Brownish. 

A. 

12.20. I In trees ; very slender; tail long; Yellow-billed ( Cuckoo 

11.83.1 under parts white . . . p. 226. Black-billed, i 

12.00. Flies from or to trees ; rump white p. 216. Flicker. 

11.42.. Reddish-brown; flies into bushes when disturbed; tail long. 

p. 95. Brown Thrasher. 
10.75. Flies up from the grass; outer tail-feathers white. 

p. 190. Meadowlark. 
[10.00. Size of Robin.] 
9.55. In flocks; upper parts rusty-brown . . p. 186. Busty Blackbird. 

8.35. Scratches under bushes; outer tail-feathers deepl}' tipped with white. 

p. 152. $ Towhee. 
8.12. In trees; line over eye and bar on wing white. 

p. 150. ? Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 
7.75. On or near the beach ; throat j^ellow ... p. 200. Shore Lark. 
7.26. (After October 15.) Fox color; scratches on ground; breast spotted. 

p. 154. Fox Sparrow. 
7.19. In flocks in trees; plump, sleek; eats fruit . p. 139. Cedar-bird. 
■ 7.17. On ground, or low limbs; tail reddish-brown. 

p. 74. Hermit Thrush. 
7.17. On ground, or low limbs; head, back, and tail uniform olive-brown; 
cheek buffy; eye-ring white . p. 76. Olive-backed Thrush. 
6.25-7.58. On ground, or low limbs; head, back, and tail uniform olive- 
brown ; cheek gray; no eye-ring. 

p. 77. Gray-cheeked Thrush. 

6.99. On trees near water; tail constantly jerked . . p. 206. PhcEbe. 

6.74. Feeds on ground, generally in flocks; head marked with black and 

white; line over eye yellow or yellowish; throat white or whitish. 

p. 163. White-throated Sparrow. 

6.38. In flocks on the ground in ploughed iiclds and on niud-fhits and 

marshes; tail constantly wagged; outer tail-fcathor.s wliito. 

p. 97. American Pipit. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 
B. 

6.36. (After October 20.) In flocks on the ground, or in Ioav bushes; 

wing-bars white; spot on unstroakod breast dusky. 

11. 162. Tree Sparrow. 

6.30. In weedy fields, or at the edges of grassy marshes: breast streaked 

with dark blotch in centre .... p. 157. Song Sparrow, 



62 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

6.27. Brownish-gray, unstreaked; outer tail-feathers white : generally in 
tlocks with slate-gray males p. 158. 9 Junco. 

6.25. Only in or near beach grass ... p. 171. Ipswich Sparrow. 

6.17. On the ground in woods; breast streaked . p. 108. Oven-bird. 

6.12. In grassy pasture-land, or in old fields; outer tail-feathers white. 

p. 172. Vesper Sparrow. 

6.12. In grassy marshes, or borders of old fields; breast streaked; line 
through forehead white .... p. 170. Savanna Sparrow. 

5.90. A swallow with brown back and Avhite under parts; common along 
the sea-shore .... p. 143. Im. "White-bellied Swallow. 

5.89. In grassy marshes, or Aveedy edges of old fields; breast unstreaked; 
Aving reddish-brown p. 155. Swamp Sparrow. 

5.68. In bushes, near old fields: breast unstreaked; wing-bars white; bill 
reddish p. 160. Field Sparrow. 

5.66. On trunks or large limbs of trees . . p. 88. Brown Creeper. 

5.65. In trees, or on the sea-shore in bayberry bushes; rump yellow; tips 
of outer tail-feathers white ... p. 120. Myrtle "Warbler. 

5.59. In weedy corners; no reddish-brown anywhere; tail twitched side- 
ways p. 119. Indigo-bird. 

5.37. Feeding on ground, in old fields or weedy corners; breast un- 
streaked; wing-bars dull white; bill black, or dull reddish- 
brown p. 161. Chipping Sparrow, 

5.10. Upper parts brownish; throat tinged with yellow; wings and tail 
dusky, with whitish markings ... p. 177. ? Goldfinch. 

5.00. In brush heaps, or stone-walls ; tail often cocked over back. 

p. 93. House "Wren, 

4.06. In brush heaps, stonewalls, or along woodland streams; call a sharp 
c///c/:; curtsies nervously p. 91. "Winter "Wren. 

B'. 

5.50. (Very rare in New England.) Skulks in bushes; conspicuous whitish 
line over eye < . . p. 91. Carolina Wren. 



5.35. In flocks in trees; crown dark brownish-gray. 

p. 83. Hudsonian Chickadee. 

Gray or Grayish. 

A. 

[10.00, Size of Kobin.] 
8.94. In thickets; uniform slaty-gray with a black cap. 

p. 95. Catbird. 

6.99. On trees near water, or flying out after insects; tail constantly 

twitched. (Much commoner than the next) . p. 206. Phoebe. 

6.53. (Only till October.) Perched in trees, or flying out after insects; 

wing-bars white p. 205. Wood Pewee. 

A". 

12.00. In woods; crown white; nape black , . p. 197. Canada Jay, 



KEY FOR AUTUMN 63 

g.o8. Slaty-gray; wing-bars white . . . p. 183. ? Pine Grosbeak. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 
B. 
6.23. In trees, often with smaller birds; breast gray, unstreaked; line 
over eye white, bordered above with black. 

p. 136. Eed-eyed Vireo. 
6.22. In trees, often with red males; breast streaked. 

p. 181. ? Purple Finch. 
6.19.* In trees, generally conifers, often with red males; rump greenish- 
yellow p. 180. ? American Crossbill. 

6.04. (Only till October 1.) Walking on ground under trees or bushes at 

the edge of water; tail constantly wagged. 

p. 108. ^Water-thrush. 
5.80. (Rare after September 23.) In trees, often with smaller birds; breast 

gray, unstreaked p. 134. "Warbhng Vireo. 

5.61. In trees; breast unstreaked; head dark; ring around eye and line 

to bill white p. 132. Solitary Vireo. 

5.56. Restless in trees; under parts yellowish; faintly streaked. 

p. 115. Black-poll Warbler. 
5.27. (Rare north of Connecticut.) In thickets; breast unstreaked; sides 

yellowish p. 131. White-eyed Vireo. 

5.27. In trees in small flocks; cap and throat black. 

p. 84. Chickadee. 
5.00. In flocks in trees; uniformly streaked; bar on wing yellowish. 

p. 176. Pine Siskin. 
4.41. In trees or thickets; restless; eye prominent. 

p. 80. Kuby-crowned Kinglet. 
4.07. In trees; restless; wing-bars white; crown yellow, bordered with 

black p. 81. Golden-crowned Kinglet. 

B'. 

6.00. (North as far as Orange, N. J., and Staten Island.) In trees; upper 
parts gray; crest conspicuous . . . p. 85. Tufted Titmouse. 
B". 

6.ig. In trees, generally' in conifers, often with red males; rump greenisli- 
yellow p. 180. 9 American Crossbill. 

6.05. In trees, generally in conifers, often with red males; wing-bars 

white; rump greenish-yellow. 

p. 179. ? White-winged Crossbill. 

Yello-w without Black. 

A. 

7.25. In trees; back greenish; under parts yellowish; wings brown or 
black; bill light-colored .... p. 147. Scarlet Tanager. 

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 
B. 

5.95. (Rare after September 23.) lu trees; throat yellow; wing-bars white. 

p. 133. Yellow-throated Vireo. 



64 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

5.65. In trees, or at the sea-shore in bayberr}' bushes ; rump yellow; tips 
of outer tail feathers white ... p. 120. Myrtle "Warbler. 
5.61. Low in trees or bushes; under parts yellow; upper parts gray. 

p. 100. ? Canadian "Warbler. 
5.56. (Very common till October 15.) Restless in trees, under parts yellow- 
ish with faint streakings ... p. 115. Black-poll "Warbler. 
5.52. In trees, generally in pines; throat yellow; wing-bars dull whitish. 

p. 111. Pine "Warbler. 
5.43. In low trees or bushes; under parts yellow; tail constantly wagged. 

p. ilO. Yellow Palm Warbler. 
■ 5.41. (Rare after October 5.) In trees; sides of breast, bar across wing, and 

band across tail yellow p. 99. ? Redstart. 

5.33. Low in bushes in wet places; throat yellow. 

p. 103. '? Nortbern YeHow-throat. 

5.14. (Rare after September 25.) In trees or thickets; top of head yellow; 

under parts white ... p. 117. Chestnut-sided "Warbler. 

5.12. (Rare after October 10.) In trees; under parts and rump yellow; 

tail black, the middle third white, p. 118. Magnolia "Warbler. 

5.10. In trees, cheeks yellow; wing-bars white. 

p. 113. Black-tbroated Green "Warbler. 
5.10. In flocks; throat yellowish ; wings and tail dusky and white. 

p. 177. ? Goldfinch. 
4.77. Restless in trees or bushes; under parts yellow; upper parts brownish 
(tinged with green in strong light) p. 126. I^ashvUle "Warbler. 
4.73. In trees; throat and breast yellow; upper parts grayish-blue; wing- 
bars white p. 124. Parula Warbler. 

Yellow, Orange, or Chestnut, with Black. 
A. 

[10.00. Size of Robin.] 

8.35. Scratching on the ground under bushes; head black; sides chest- 
nut; tail black, outer feathers tipped with white. 

p. 152. Towhee. 
[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 
B. 

5.60. Low in trees or bushes; under parts yellow; necklace of black spots 

across the breast p. 100. Canadian "Warbler. 

5.41. In trees; head black; sides of breast orange; bar across wings and 

tail salmon p. 99. Redstart. 

5.33. Low in bushes in wet places; throat yellow; band across eyes black. 

p. 103. K"orthern Yellow-throat. 
5.10. In trees; cheeks yellow; throat and sides of breast black. 

p. 113. Black-throated Green "Warbler. 
5.10. In flocks; body yellow; cap black; wings and tail black and white. 

p. 177. Goldfinch. 
Black and White. 
A. 

10.32. (Only after October 25.) On trees ; upper parts gray; wings and tail 
black p. 138. Northern Shrike. 



KEY FOR AUTUMN 65 

[lo.oo. Size of Bobin.] 

9.40. On trunks or large limbs; stripe down middle of back white; wings 
and tail barred with black and white. 

•p. 224. Hairy "Woodpecker. 
8.56. On trunks or large limbs; back speckled with white; white stripe 

along edge of wings p. 220. Sapsucker. 

8.35. Scratching on the ground under bushes; head black; tail black, 

outer feathers tipped with large white spots . p. 152. Towhee. 

6.88. In flocks, generally near the sea; wings and tail black and wiiite; 

body chiefly white p. 174. Snow Bunting. 

6.83. On trunks or large limbs; stripe down middle of back white; wings 
and tail barred with black and white. 

p. 22;j. Downy "Woodpecker. 

A". 

12.00. In woods; crown white; nape black . . . p. 197. Canada Jay. 
8.75. On trunks and large limbs; back barred with black and white. 

p. 221. American Three-toed "Woodpecker. 

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 
B. 
6.07. Climbing about on the large limbs or trunks of trees; top of head 
black; back bluish-gray . p. 86. "White-bellied Nuthatch. 
5.30. (Rare after October 1.) Climbing about the trunks or large limbs of 
trees; streaked black and white. 

p. 129. Black and White "Warbler. 
5.28. (Rare after October 10.) In trees; head and throat black; under parts 
white; white spot on wing. 

p. 121. Black-throated Blue "Warbler. 

5.27. In small flocks in trees; cap and throat black; cheeks and breast 

white p. 84. Chickadee. 

Black. 
A. 

12-13.50. In flocks; tail long p. 184. Crow Blackbird. 

[10.00. Size of Robin.] 

9.55. In flocks near Avater p. 186. Busty Blackbird. 

9.51. In flocks, Avith red or Avhite at the bend of the Aving. 

p. l!il. Bed-winged Blackbird. 

7.92. In flocks ; head brown; body black . . . p. 192. Cowbird. 

A'. 
8.50. (Only near New York city or Loug Island Sound.) "Walks on 
ground; purplish or greenisli at close range; feathers of u]iper 
part tipped Avith buff p. 195. Starhng. 

A". 

17.00. Entire plumage black, except a red crest and a Avhite bar on Aving. 

p. 219. Pileated "Woodpecker. 



66 A GUIDE TO THE BIEDS 

g.50. On trunks or large limbs; back black; wings and tail black and 
Avhite ■ . . . .p. 222. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. 

Red, Scarlet, or Rose, . 
A. 

[10.00. Size of Kobin.] 

9.40. On trunks or large limbs ; stripe down middle of back white; wings 
and tail barred with black and white; red patch on back of head. 

p. 224. Hairy "Woodpecker. 
8.56. On trunks or large limbs; back speckled with white; white stripe 
along edge of wing; top of head, or top of head and throat, red. 

p. 220. Sapsucker. 
6.83. On trunks or large limbs; stripe down middle of back white; wings 
and tail barred with black and white; red patch on back of head, 
p. 223. Downy Woodpecker. 

A'. 
8.25. (As far north as Central Park, N. Y.) In trees or thickets; entire 
plumage red or reddish ; crest conspicuous. p. 151. Cardinal, 

A". 

9.08. Entire plumage rose-red; wing-bars white. 

p. 183. Pine Grosbeak. 

8.56. On trunks or large limbs ; back speckled with white; whole top of 

head, and in male throat also, dark red. p. 220. Sapsucker. 

[6.33. Size of English Sparrow.] 
B. 
6.22. In flocks in trees; rose-red, brightest on head and rump. 

p. 181. Purple Finch. 
6.ig.* In flocks in trees, chiefly conifers; vermilion-red, brightest on head 

and rump p. 180. Ked Crossbill. 

4.62. Climbing on trunks and large limbs of trees ; under parts reddish- 
brown ; back bluish ... p. 85. Ked-beUied Nuthatch. 
B". 
6.ig. Entire plumage vermilion-red, brightest on head and rump. 

p. 180. American Crossbill. 
6.05. Entire bird rose-red; wing-bars white. 

p. 179. WTiite-winged Crossbill. 
Blue. 

A. 

13.02. Flying over water, or perched near it; bill long and pointed; much 

white showing, but no black; head crested, p. 224. Kingfisher. 

11.74. In trees; bill not long; much white, and some black about the head 

and breast; head crested p. 198. Blue Jay. 

[10.00. Size of Robin.] 
7.01. In open country; upper parts blue; breast reddish. 

p. 71. ^ Bluebird. 



KEY FOR AUTUMN 67 

7.01. Upper parts grayish ; breast reddish ; wing and tail bluish. 

p. 71. ? Bluebird. 
[6.33. Size of English. Sparrow.] 

B. 

6.07. On trunks or large limbs of trees; top of head black; back bluish- 
gray p. 86. White-beUied Nuthatch. 

5.90. Near water, especially near the sea; flying about, or perched, often 
in great flocks; upper parts greenish-blue ; under parts white. 

p. 143. White-beUied SwaHow. 

5.28. In trees; head and throat black; back and wings grayish-blue; spot 
on wing white . . p. 121. Black-throated Blue Warbler. 

4.73. In trees; upper parts grayish-blue; throat and breast yellow; wing- 
bars white p. 124. Parula Warbler. 

4.62. On trunks or large limbs; back bluish; top of head and line through 
eye black ; under parts reddish-brown or buffy. 

p. 85. Red-bellied Wuthatch. 



BIKDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND 
EASTEEN NEW YOKK 



BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND 
EASTEKN NEW YOEK 

PERCHINQ BIRDS: ORDER PASSERES 

THRUSHES : FAMILY TURDIDiB 

Five brown, wood-haunting Thrushes occur in various 
portions of New York and New England. They resemble 
one another closely in their general appearance and behavior, 
and in the quality of their voices. Only one, the Veery or 
Wilson's Thrush, occurs in summer throughout New Eng- 
land and New York. The Wood Thrush is common in 
southern New England ; the Hermit Thrush and the 
Olive-backed are common in northern New England. All 
are shy and more commonly seen than heard ; Avhen sing- 
ing, however, they often sit for a long time on one perch, 
generally on some low bough, and may be discovered if one 
approaches them carefully. The Brown Thrush, so called, 
or Brown Thrasher, is not properly a Thrush. (See p. 95.) 

Bluebird. S'lalla sialis 
7.01 

Ad. $. — Entire upper parts bright blue, particularly when 
seen in strong light ; throat, breast, and sides reddish-brown ; belly 
whitish. Ad. 9- — Upper parts grayish, but in tiiglit showing 
blue on the rump, wings, and tail ; the reddish-brown of the luider 
parts much paler th:in in the $ . Tm. — Back spotted with whitish ; 
throat and breast whitish, mottled with brownish spots. 

Nest, in a hollow limb, box, or knot-hole, lined with grass. Eggs, 
lio'ht blue. 



72 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEAV YORK 

In southern Connecticut and Ehode Island, especially 
along the Sound, and in the lower Hudson Valley, small 
flocks of bluebirds spend the winter, feeding largely on 
berries. In most of Xew England and Xew York, however, 
the Bluebird is only a summer resident, common from early 
March through October. The breeding birds arrive soon af- 
ter the first warm days of March ; a little later the northern 
migrants are seen flying over, singly, in pairs, or in small flocks. 

The Bluebird frequents country where more or less open 
ground is broken by low trees or bushes; an old apple 
orchard is a typical haunt. From some low point of vantage, 
a post or bough, it watches the ground, flying down at inter- 
vals to secure an insect. From the first of April, the war- 
bling of the male becomes less frequent, and by the middle 
of the month the bird is comparatively silent. The female 
is now sitting in some hollow limb, or in a box or jar pro- 
vided for her. In June the second brood is raised, and 
during the second mating season there is a renewal of the 
song. The late summer and early fall find the Bluebird in 
small groups, often associated Avith Chipping Sparrows, 
feeding all through the open farming country. Snatches of 
the spring song are now not infrequently heard, but the 
characteristic note of this season is the call-note, cher-ivee, 
uttered by old and young of both sexes. When the parents 
are attending their young, they utter a peculiar chatter, like 
the syllables chut-iit-ut. The song is simple, and consists 
chiefly of variations on the call-note; its charm is due to 
the gentleness and richness of the voice, and its association 
with early spring. 

The Bluebird should be confused with no other blue 
bird ; the Indigo-bird is blue on the breast, while the 
Bluebird's breast is redd ish-hr own ; the female Bluebird 
is dull-colored, but both females and young show blue in 
flight. The Bluebird when perched looks round-shouldered, 
and the male nearly always flutters a wing on alighting. 



AMERICAN ROBIN 73 

American Kobin. Merula migratoria 
10.00 

^ . — Head black, a white spot above the eye ; back grayish ; 
wings brown ; breast bay ; tail black, outer feathers tipped with 
white. 9 . — Head the same color as back ; breast paler than 
in $ . Im. — Breast spotted with black. 

Nest, of grass and mud. Eggs, blue. 

Small flocks of Robins sometimes spend the winter even 
in northern New England, feeding on the berries of the 
mountain ash. In southern New England and the lower 
Hudson Valley, especially near the sea-coast, Eobins often 
winter in large flocks ; they rarely come into the villages, 
but live in thick groves or swamps of cedar, on the berries 
of which they feed. The flocks in winter seem to be made 
up entirely of males. In late January or early February, 
large flocks of Robins generally appear in the cedar groves, 
even when there have been none observed previously. In 
early March the resident Robins return, the males first, in 
flocks which feed chiefly on the hillsides ; by April the 
females appear and the pairs are scattered about the vil- 
lages, the males joining in the early morning and evening 
chorus. The nest is now built on the limb of a tree, or in 
some crotch, or on a projection of a shed or piazza ; the 
same site is often used year after year. By the end of May 
the first brood have left the nest. The young may be 
known by their spotted breasts and by the harsh squawk 
which they utter. Soon a second nest is built and the male 
again sings regularly. In midsummer the male Robins 
and the young of the first brood repair each night to some 
low wooded swamp; thousands occupy one ''roost,'' coming 
in from miles about. In the fall Robins linger into No- 
vember, singing occasionally on warm mornings. 

The song is a series of phrases rising and falling, four 
often constituting a series, which is then repeated or varied. 
The birds sing even before it is light, and after continuing 



74 BIRDS OF KEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

for about an hour, cease and disperse to feed. Then there 
is desultory singing from individuals through the morning. 
Besides the single 2^W ^^ P^P of the Eobin and the excited 
pip, 2^Wi PH^^ i^ ^^^^ ^ l^igl^j ^l^ii^ hissing note, very like the 
Cedar-bird's, but a trifle sharper. A common call-note is a 
shrill tsee, tsee, often followed by a low tut, tut. 

When a Eobin flies over an observer, the white feathers 
under the tail offer a striking contrast to the dark breast. 
Just after a Eobin lights it almost always pumps its tail 
vigorously once or twice. When a Eobin flies up from 
the ground, the white spots on the tips of the outer tail- 
feathers are conspicuous. 

Hekmit Thrush. Hylocichla guttata 2)CLllcisii 

7.17 

Ad. — Head, back, and wings olive-brown ; tail reddish-brown ; 
throat and breast white, spotted with black. 
Nest, on the ground. Eggs, pale greenish-blue. 

The Hermit Thrush is a common summer resident of 
northern ]S"ew York and New England, of the higher por- 
tions of the Catskill region, and of Berkshire and Worces- 
ter counties, Massachusetts. It also breeds here and there 
in cool woods in eastern Massachusetts, and on Cape Cod 
and Martha's Vineyard. It occasionally spends the win- 
ter in southern New England and the lower Hudson 
Valley, feeding at that season on berries. In April and 
early IMay, and in October, it is a not uncommon migrant in 
woodland and thickets, flying up when disturbed into the 
low limbs of neighboring trees or to stone walls. Here, if 
it is conscious of observation, it expresses its excitement by 
slowly elevating its tail, till it makes a considerable angle 
with the body. This action is also characteristic of the bird 
when disturbed on its breeding-ground, and is then accom- 
panied by a harsh, nasal speke, or a thin, hissing note, like 
the Eobin' s. It also has in the breeding season a sweet 



HERMIT THRUSH 75 

call-note, like the introductory note of its song ; this is 
often heard about the nest, when the birds are not alarmed. 
Its ordinary note on migration is a chuck. It sings very 
rarely when on migration, and with only a hint of the power 
which it reserves for its northern home. As a second brood 
is raised in late July and early August, the male is in full 
song at that season. 

The song of the Hermit Thrush is, next to that of the 
White-throated Sparrow, the most noticeable feature of the 
cool woods of northern New York and New England ; it 
is heard both in deciduous and evergreen forests, but on 
the higher mountains above 3000 feet it is replaced by 
the song of the Olive-backed Thrush. Its voice bears a 
strong resemblance in quality to that of the Wood Thrush, 
so that the identity of the common thrush of any one 
region is often a matter of constant discussion among ama- 
teur lovers of birds. The ranges of the two overlap so 
little that it ought to be easy from a study of the map 
(p. 15) to make a shrewd guess ; the form of the song 
should then decide the matter. The song of the Wood 
Thrush begins with a phrase which suggests the syllables 
ee-o-lee, and continues with phrases, often containing notes 
separated by great intervals. The song of the Hermit is 
divided into cadences of different pitch. Each cadence is 
introduced by a pure fluted note, then follow two or three 
higher notes, given with a tremolo effect. These are either 
all three on the same pitch, or more often the last two are 
a little higher or lower than the first. The introductory 
note is held long enough to give a calm, meditative effect 
to the song ; it also serves to give the pitch to the cadences, 
one of which is so high that it is hardly to be heard 
at a distance ; the others are very full, soprano or mezzo- 
soprano. There are no bass notes, such as the ^^'ood 
Thrush strikes, and no great intervals between any two 
notes. 



76 BIEDS OF XEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Its reddish-hroiun tail and the trick of raising it slowh^, 
distinguish the Hermit from the other thrushes. (See also 
under Fox Sparrow, p. 154.) 

Olive-backed Thrush ; Swaixsox's Thrush. Hylo- 

cickla ustulata swainsoni 

7.17 

Ad. $ . — Upper parts ohve-brown; eye-ring huffy ; cheek, when 
seen in strong hgbt, washed with huff" ; breast whitish, spotted with 
black. 

Nest, in bushes or small trees, bulky and compact. Eggs, light 
greenish-blue, spotted with brown. 

The Olive-backed or Swainson's Thrush breeds on Grey- 
lock Mountain in Massachusetts, on the higher Catskills, in 
deep spruce swamps on the southern New Hampshire and 
Vermont upland, and commonly all through northern Xew 
England and in the Adirondacks. In the rest of Xew Eng- 
land and New York it is a spring and fall migrant, a bird 
seen only by those who look for it. During the second half 
of May it may be found in roadside thickets, open woods, 
and even in the yards of villages and towns, if there is attrac- 
tive shrubbery and if the locality is favorable to migration. 

The bird occasionally sings on migration, early in the 
morning and toward evening ; but on its northern breeding- 
ground the song becomes a characteristic sound. It is un- 
mistakably the voice of a thrush, like a Yeery's song in- 
verted, going up instead of down the scale, but throatier, 
more gurgling, inferior in purity, richness, and suggestive- 
ness to those of the three other common thrushes. Its call- 
note is a sharp whit, which can be varied in tone and power ; 
it also utters on its breeding-ground a note like the syllables 
chee-urr. In the fall, from the end of September to early 
October, the migrant birds frequent the dry birch-lined 
lanes or country roads, or the open glades of woodland ; 
with them are often associated, both in spring and fall, the 



GEAY-CHEEKED THRUSH 77 

Gray-cheeked Thrushes described below. Both species are 
so shy that it is often impossible to get near enough to 
distinguish one from the other. If an Olive-back perches 
for a moment in good light, the observer can make out that 
the feathers under the eye, the cheek, so to speak, are of a 
yelloiver shade than the rest of the head ; di faint huffy eye- 
ring, too, is a distinctive mark. The spotting is not heavy, 
nor does it extend down the flanks, as in the Wood Thrush ; 
the entire upper parts are olive-brown, nowhere tawny. 
Sometimes the bird when startled utters its call-note, whit, 
or answers an imitation of it ; this note is characteristic, and 
settles its identity. 

Gray-cheeked Thrush. Hylocichla alicio} 

Bicknell's Thrush. Hylocichla alicice hicknelli 

7.58; 6.25-7.25 

Ad. $. — Upper parts olive-brown; no huffy eye-ring or wash 
on cheek J under parts white; throat and breast spotted with black. 

Nest, in scrub spruce or fir. Eggs, greenish-blue, spotted with 
brown. 

The Gray-cheeked Thrush is a migrant through New 
England and New York. Its habits and haunts are very 
like those of the Olive-backed Thrush, and it appears at 
about the same time. On the higher Catskills and on the 
high mountains of northern New England just below the 
timber line, where the stunted spruce and fir grow close 
together, a smaller race of this thrush, known as Bicknell's 
Thrush, is a common summer resident. 

As a migrant it sings less than the Olive-backed Thrush, 
but on the mountain summits its song and call-note are 
constantly heard, especially at dawn and at dusk. The call- 
note is like the syllables /'^'c'-rr, sharp and petulant, often 
rising to a high strident note suggesting a nasal note of the 
Red-winged Blackbird. This call, like the Veery's, may be 
much modified and subdued. The sono- is verv similar in 



78 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

quality to the Yeery's, though perhaps a trifle thinner, with 
a marked upward inflection at the close. It may be written 
thus : te-dee', de&^a, te-dee^ee, with a slurring effect on all 
the long syllables. On Mount Mansfield, in Vermont, the 
hotel is in the midst of the breeding-ground of the Bick- 
nell's Thrushes, and is an excellent place to observe them. 
Much remains to be learned about their nesting habits. 

To distinguish the Gray-cheek from the Olive-back, one 
must see the side of the head in strong light. If there is 
no difference in shade between the top of the head and the 
cheek, — if both are gray, — and if there is no tawny color 
on head or tail, then the bird is a Gray-cheeked Thrush. 

Wilson's Thrush; Veeky. Hylocichla fuscescens 

Ad. — Upper parts brown, with a distinct, though often not a 
strong, tawjiy tinge ; under parts white ; breast and sides of throat 
washed with yellowish-brown, lightly spotted with tawny-brown. 

Nest, on or near the ground, in wet woods. Eggs, greenish-blue. 

The Yeery is a common summer resident all through 
New York and New England, wherever the ground is moist 
and there are trees. On the higher mountains it rarely as- 
cends above a level of 1500 feet, and in northern New Eng- 
land is not common away from the river valleys. It comes 
in early May, but does not sing for a week or ten days after 
its arrival ; then it sings freely till July. During August it 
is rarely seen, and probably leaves during that month or 
early in September. It may often be seen feeding in any 
shaded road that passes through its haunts, its quick run 
suggesting the Robin. 

The song of this thrush, from which one of its names 
is derived, consists of three or four phrases, the last two 
lower than the preceding and ending with a strong vibrat- 
ing chord, suggesting a sound muffled by a tube. The song 
proceeds from the recesses of swampy woodland, or ceasing. 



WOOD THRUSH 79 

is followed by a low shaip pheiu or a higher ^/iee-oo, which 
in turn may be subdued or softened or varied in tone. 

The Veery's huffi/, comparatively unspotted breast, and 
its taivny head, hack, and tail, distinguish it from the 
other thrushes. The Brown Thrush, so called, or Brown 
Thrasher, has white under parts heavily spotted with black. 

Wood Thrush. Hylocichla mustelina 
8.29 
Ad. — Head and upper back, reddish-brown; lower back and 
tail brown ; breast and sides of belly white, heavily spotted with 
large black spots. 

Nest, generally in a sapling about eight feet up. Eggs, green- 
ish-blue. V 

The Wood Thrush is a common summer resident of 
southern New England and the Hudson Valley, but north 
of Massachusetts it is only found up the valleys of the 
Connecticut, the Merrimac, and their chief tributaries, and 
along Lake Champlain. It is true that it has been found at 
Willoughby Gap, and at Lake Memphremagog in Vermont, 
near Mt. Moosilauke, at elefFerson, and at Franconia in New 
Hampshire, but in most of the upland country of New 
England — in Worcester and Berkshire counties in Massa- 
chusetts, and farther north, wherever spruce and fir are 
found, in all of Maine but the extreme southwest, in the Adi- 
rondacks, and in nearly all of New Hampshire and Vermont — 
the Hermit, Veery, and Olive-backed are the only common 
thrushes. The Wood Thrush comes in early iMay, and is only 
occasionally seen after the first of September. In southern 
Connecticut and in the neighborhood of New York city it 
is a familiar dooryard bird, but in the rest of its northern 
range it is a bird of rich woods, especially where there is 
young growth near water. 

The AVood Thrush is in song from the morning of its 
arrival till July, often all through the day. especially in cool 



80 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

woods, but "more noticeably in late afternoon and early 
evening, when many other birds are silent. After the song 
ceases, one may still hear in the darkness a 2^W 'PW 
pip pip, which serves also as the alarm-note with which 
breeding birds greet an intruder. In August the Wood 
Thrush and the Yeery become silent, and are seldom seen ; 
they slip southward almost unnoticed. 

This is the largest of our true brown thrushes. (The 
Brown Thrush,, so-called, is the Thrasher ; see p. 95.) It is 
the most heavily spotted, not only on the breast, but also on the 
flanks ; is tawny On the head and upper hack, and olive-brown 
on the tail. Eor a suggestion of the difference between the 
song of this species and that of the Hermit Thrush, see p. 75. 



KINGLETS : FAMILY SYLVnO-SI 

EuBY-CKOWXED KixGLET. Regulus calendula 
4.41 

Ad. $. — Upper parts gray, with a greenish tinge in strong 
light; crown with a partially concealed patch of Jiame-colored 
feathers ; wing-bars whitish ; under parts dull whitish. Ad. J. — 
Lacks the crown-patch. 

Nest and Eggs as in the following species. 

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a rather common migrant 
through New York and ISTew England, in April, and again 
in October. It probably breeds sparingly in eastern Maine, 
but in the rest of New England it is unknown in summer. 
In the migrations it frequents the edges of woodland, or pas- 
tures overgrown with bushes and small trees. Like its rela- 
tive the Golden-crowned Kinglet, it is often found in ever- 
greens, either red cedar groves or the spruces in plantations. 
Its feeding habits are similar to its relative's. It inspects 
the twigs with restless activity, frequently flitting its wings. 

The harsh, grating call-note of the Euby-crowned King- 




GOLDEN-CKOWNED KINGLET 81 

let is often the first thing that attracts oiir attention to it. 
Often the repetition of this note is followed by the song, a 
performance deservedly noted for its sweetness, brightness, 
and vigor; it may always be recognized 
by the high^ thin introductory notes and 
by a phrase of three notes, tee'-di-dt re- 
peated several times toward the end of 
the song. The song is often uttered in 
the fall. ^^^- ^- Euby -crowned 

When a male is excited, the feathers 
of the crown are slightly raised and show the flame-colored 
patch from which the term ruby-crowned has been derived. 
If two males pursue each other, the color actually seems to 
blaze forth, but often no color at all is visible. The species, 
nevertheless, may always be distinguished from the Golden- 
crowned Kinglet by the absence of any markings over the 
eye, the adult Golden-crown always showing at every sea- 
son the black stripes inclosing the yellow crown. The eye 
of the E,uby-crown is surrounded by a whitish ring which 
makes it seem large and prominent for so small a bird. 

GoLDEN-CKOWNED KiNGLET. Eegiilus satra])a 
4.07 

Ad. $. — Upper parts gray, with a greenish tinge in strong 
light ; wing-bars whitish ; crown orange, edged with yellow and 
black J line over the eye white ; under parts dull whitish. Ad. 9- 
— Crown-patch entirely yellow edged with black. Im. — Lacks 
yellow crown-patch, black lines very indistinct. 

Nest, globular, of moss, etc., in an evergreen from six to sixty 
feet up. Eggs, sometimes as many as ten, dull white, faintly 
speckled with huffy. 

The Golden-crowned Kinglet is a common summer resi- 
dent in the Canadian Zone (see map, p. 15), but throughout 
tlie rest of New York and New England a winter visitant 
only, arriving in late September and leaving by the end of 




S2 BIRDS OF NEAV ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

April. In northern New England it is not common in win- 
ter. Kinglets are often associated in winter with Chicka- 
dees ; if, therefore, the sharp tsit of the Chickadee is heard 
in fall or winter, it is well to follow the 
sound and, when the Chickadees appear, 
to keep eye and ear alert for any of 
their traveling companions. Often the 
Kinglets travel alone, searching restlessly 
the twigs of trees and hedges, following 
crowned Kinglet perhaps a well-marked course through 
plantations and woodland, and calling to 
each other with a thin sharp see-see-see. If the birds are 
in thick evergreens, spruces or cedars, it is very hard to 
get even a glimpse of them, but in leafless apple-trees, a 
favorite resort, they display their brightly marked heads 
and quick, restless ways. They do not cling to a twig 
upside down like the Chickadees, but occasionally one flut- 
ters for an instant before the desired morsel and picks it 
off. Their numbers vary from winter to winter, and even 
in the course of a single season there seems often to be 
a fluctuation. In April their numbers increase, as the birds 
that have wintered to the southward pass through as mi- 
grants. In March and April the males continue the lisping 
note, put more and more power into it, and then by a de- 
scending trill fall, as it were, from the height to which 
they have scaled, — this is the song of the Golden-crowned 
Kinglet. The lisp of the Chickadee, the screep of the 
Brown Creeper, and the see-see-see of the Kinglet all have 
a strong resemblance. The last two are sharper and more 
finely drawn out, the Kinglet's is quickly repeated, while 
the Creeper's is one long continuous note. 

In summer the Kinglets keep almost wholly in the 
spruces, and are thus even more inconspicuous than in win- 
ter ; their song and call-notes, however, make their presence 
known. Their call is now often longer and still more like 



HUDSONIAN CHICKADEE 83 

that of the Creeper. The young, which are found in little 
companies in late July and August, lack the head-markings 
of the adult ; they may be recognized by their small size and 
by their lisping notes, identical with those of their parents. 



NUTHATCHES AND TITS : FAMILY PARIDiE 

Two Nuthatches and three Tits or Chickadees occur in 
New York and New England. The White-bellied Nut- 
hatch and the common or Black-capped Chickadee are found 
everywhere ; the Hudsonian Chickadee is confined to north- 
ern New York and New England ; the Tufted Tit does not 
regularly occur north of New York city. Nuthatches fly in 
undulations something after the manner of Woodpeckers. 

Hudsonian Chickadee. Parits hudsonicus 
5.35 
Ad. — Top of head brownish', back brownish-gray; throat 
black, separated from the brown by a stripe of white ; breast and 
middle of belly white ; side of belly reddish-brown. 

Nesi, in holes in trees. Eggs, spotted with reddish-brown. 

The Hudsonian Chickadee is a permanent resident of the 
extensive spruce forests on the higher mountains of New 
Hampshire and Vermont, in the Adirondacks and in north- 
ern and eastern Maine. In summer it is confined in the 
White and Green Mountains to the spruce belt above 3000 
feet, but in autumn it wanders down into the valleys, in 
company with migrating warblers. In winter a few occasion- 
ally wander southward ; small flocks have been observed 
on Mount Greylock in Massachusetts, and stragglers occa- 
sionally occur even in eastern INIassachusetts. Its habits 
are very similar to those of the common C^hickadee ; in fact, 
the tAvo not infrequently wander about together. Bones or 
bits of meat left about logging camps in Avinter are equally 
attractive to either species. 



84 BIRDS OF NEW EXGLAXD AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

The dee dee dee of the Hudsonian Chickadee sounds 
more '' babyish " than that of the common species ; the 
notes are lower and more . drawled. The Hudsonian Chick- 
adee seems to have no note that corresponds to the ])lieerbee 
of the common Chickadee. 

Chickadee. Parus atricapillus 
5.27 

Ad. — Top of head and throat blacJc : sides of head, and belly 
white ; back, wings, and tail gray ; wing-feathers edged with 
white ; flanks washed with light brownish, especially in the fall. 

Nest, in a hole in a tree. -Eggs, often as many as eight, white, 
spotted with reddish-brown. 

The Chickadee is a permanent resident throughout Xew 
England and ISTew York ; in the southern portions of its 
range it is less common in summer than in winter. At this 
season little flocks of five or six pass through the woodland, 
orchards, and plantations, often accompanied by Kinglets, a 
Brown Creeper, a Downy Woodpecker, or a Nuthatch. As 
spring approaches, the winter bands separate into pairs, 
which then often retire from the neighborhood of villages, 
so that a notion prevails that the Chickadee is only a Munter 
resident. The pair, too, become very silent ; the male, how- 
ever, occasionally utters his whistled 2^^iee-bee. The nest is 
placed either in a natural cavity or in a hole picked out of 
a soft birch stub by the birds themselves. The pure whistle 
above described, though uttered oftenest in March and April, 
may be heard in any month of the year. Besides this song 
the Chickadee has various little lisping calls, a note something 
like the syllables toiif de suite, and the well-known tsic-a 
dee-dee. When feeding, the Chickadee has a habit of cling- 
ing upside down to the tips of twigs ; occasionally it flies 
to a limb and there hammers open a seed or a tough cocoon. 
If bones, suet, or broken nuts are hung on the trees near a 
window, Chickadees will become constant and familiar vis- 



TUFTED TITMOUSE 85 

itors throughout the winter. The Chickadee is readily told 
by its black throat and top of head, and white cheeks. 

Tufted Titmouse. Bmolophiis hicolor 
6.00 
Ad. — Forehead black ; upper parts, wings, and tail gray; sides 
of belly reddish-brown ; rest of under parts white ; head crested. 
Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish- 
brown. 

The Tufted Tit is a permanent resident of New Jersey, 
as far north as Orange, and of Staten Island, though not 
common in the northern portion of its range. In south- 
western Connecticut it occurs only as a rare visitant ; it is 
absent from the rest of New' England. Its loud whistle, 
like the syllables peto, attracts notice to it, and its co7i- 
spicuous crest and plain gray colors make it easy to iden- 
tify. It has also lisping calls very like the Chickadee's, 
and a hoarse dee dee dee. 

Eed-breasted Nuthatch ; Eed-bellied Nuthatch. 

Sitta canadensis 

4.62 

Ad. $. — Upper parts bluish-gray, top of head and sti'ipe 
through eye black ; line over eye white; under parts reddish-brown. 
Ad. 9- — Top of head and stripe through eye bluish-gray; under 
parts paler. 

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white, speckled with reddish- 
brown. 

In northern New England and New York, in tracts of 
spruce, the Red-bellied Nuthatch is generally an abundant 
permanent resident. The fovests are sometimes filled with 
its little nasal call. At very irregular intervals, it moves 
southward in large numbers, and becomes a common fall 
migrant, in Se])tember and October, throughout southern 
New England and the Hudson Valley. After such a 




86 BIRDS OF XEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

migration many individuals stay through the winter, and 
some linger till May. As an ordinary thing, however, these 
birds find food enough in the north, 
and are either entirely absent in south- 
ern Xew England in winter, or occur 
only as straggling migrants, or as rare 
winter visitants. When they come 

south, they resort either to the pines 
Fig. 3. Red-bellied ^ \^ \t ■<• • ^ 

Nutliatch. °^ ^^ ^^^® JNorway spruces, clinging to 

the cones till they extract the seeds, 
then flying with nervous little movements to a limb where 
they either hammer open the seed, or as frequently hammer 
it into a crevice for safe-keeping. The Eed-bellied Xut- 
hatch is a very active, restless bird, and its short tail gives 
it a comical air of fussiness. The ordinary call-note is a 
high-pitched nasal a?ik, ank ; when the bird is excited 
this note is repeated very rapidly and for a long period. It 
has, besides, a call-note like the syllable hiit, which is often 
varied in pitch. Its nasal call is one or two tones higher 
than that of the following species. 

If a Nuthatch has bright reddish-brown under parts, 
there can be no doubt as to its identity, but in spring and 
summer the color fades, and the female in particular is al- 
most grayish below. It must then be distinguished from 
the White-bellied Xuthatch by its small size, and by the 
black or bluish-gray line through the eye 

White-bkeasted Nuthatch ; White-bellied Nut- 
hatch. Sitta caroUnensis 
6.07 
Ad. $ . — Upper parts grayish-blue, except the crown and front 
part of back, which is black ; under parts white ; feathers under 
the tail reddish-brown ; tail short and square, all but the central 
pair of tail-feathers black, the outer ones with large white spots. 
Ad. 9- — Similar to the $, but the black of head and back re- 
placed by dark grayish-blue. 




WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH 87 

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white, thickly spotted with 
brownish or lavender. 

The White-bellied Nuthatch is a permanent resident of 
southern and central New England and the lower Hudson 
Valley, and a summer resi- 
dent throughout New Eng- 
land and New York, but it 
is a local bird, and very rare 
in summer in many places. 
It spends almost its entire 
time on the trunks and large pj^. 4. White-bellied Nuthatch 
limbs of trees, where it 

hunts in a characteristic manner, sometimes peering over 
the sides, like a Black and White Warbler, often walking 
entirely around the limb, and not infrequently walking head 
downward on the trunk and observing an intruder with out- 
stretched head. Unlike its relative, it rarely visits conifers, 
keeping chiefly to deciduous trees. 

Attention is often drawn to the White-bellied Nuthatch 
by its nasal quank ; the pitch of this call-note is very close 
to B-flat, though it varies to B, and it is always lower and 
heavier than the similar call-note of the Eed-bellied Nut- 
hatch. Its song, which it begins to utter early in March, 
resembles the syllables too-too-too, quickly repeated. AYhen 
singing, the Nuthatch generally perches on some small 
twig. The male brings food to the female while she is sit- 



' til- 



ting. 



A Nuthatch may be identified by its long, straight, slen- 
der bill, by its manner of clinging to the trunks or large 
limbs of trees, and by its grayish-blue black. The White- 
bellied Nuthatch may be distinguished from the preceding 
species by its greater size, by its pure white under parts 
(reddish only under the tail), and most surely by the absence 
of a black line through the eye ; the white of the fore-neck 
extends up a little behind the ear. 



88 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 
CREEPERS: FAMILY CERTHIID^ 

Bkown Ckeeper. Certhia familiar is americana 

5.66 

Ad. — Head, upper back, and wings brown, finely speckled with 

gray ; rump reddish-brown ; tail grayish brown, unspeckled ; 

tail-feathers pointed ; under parts white ; bills slender, slightly 

curved. 

Nest, in a crevice under a flake of bark. Eggs, white, spotted 
chiefly about the larger end with reddish-brown. 

The Brown Creeper is a winter visitant in southern New 
York and New England from the end of September to the 
end of April ; in northern New York and New England it 
is absent or rare in winter. In summer it inhabits the deep 
woods of the Canadian Zone, keeping chiefly to the spruces, 
but occurring also in forests of hard wood. Nests of the 
Brown Creeper have occasionally been found in eastern Mas- 
sachusetts, but its occurrence there in summer is exceptional 
(see map, p. 15). It is everywhere a common migrant in 
April, late September, and early October. It spends its whole 
existence on the trunks and large limbs of trees. In winter 
it often associates with Chickadees and Kinglets, and like 
them has routes along the village streets and through the 
plantations, or through the woods. It may often be detected 
by its note, a thin, fine screep, like the Kinglet's, but not 
broken into parts, and almost exactly like the Cedar-bird's 
wheeze. Soon the eye is caught by the flutter of the Creeper 
from one tree to the base of the next. Its usual method of 
feeding is to ascend close to the trunk, partly supported by its 
tail, often making a spiral and reappearing higher up, or fly- 
ing off" to begin again at the base of the same or another tree. 

In March or April a well-trained ear may occasionally 
hear the Creeper's song, a wiry little performance suggesting 
the syllables, wees, ivee'-si, wi-see. If two are together at 
this season, they utter a slight tsiio, and often engage in an 
animated chase among the trees. 



LONG-BILLED MAESH WREN 89 

THRASHERS, WRENS, ETC. : FAMILY TROGLODY- 
TIDiE 

Wrens : Subfamily Troglodytinee 

Five species of Wren occur in New York and ISTew Eng- 
land. The two Marsh Wrens are found only in extensive 
marshes or wet grassy meadows. The Great Carolina Wren 
is not regularly found north of southern Connecticut. The 
House Wren, though local, is fairly common from Massa- 
chusetts southward, and occurs here and there in northern 
New England. The Winter Wren is a common summer re- 
sident of the moist forests of northern New York and New 
England, and occurs elsewhere as a migrant. Wrens are 
noisy and active, but secretive birds, concealing themselves 
in tall grass, brush heaps, or stone walls. They often cock 
their tails over their backs. They are all rather small and 
of a nearly uniform brown color. 

Long-billed Maksh Wren. Telmatodytes palustris 
5.20 

Ad. — Head blackish-brown, unstreaked; middle of back black- 
ish, spotted with white; rest of back, wings, and tail brown; tail 
barred with black ; line over eye white • under parts ivhite ; only the 
sides washed with buff. 

Nest, globular, with the opening at the side ; made of grasses 
or cat-tails, and fastened to the stalks of cat-tails or to the stems 
of bushes. Eggs, chocolate-brown, spotted with darker brown at 
the larger end. 

The Long-billed Marsh Wren is a common summer resi- 
dent of the tidal marshes from Staten Island to eastern 
Massachusetts. It is also common near the coast in exten- 
sive cat-tail marshes along sluggish streams, as at Wayland, 
Mass., but in the interior of New England it is rare or 
absent, except along the valley of the Connecticut River, 
where it occurs as far north as Springlield. The A\'rens 



90 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

arrive early in May and remain into October. A few even 
spend the winter in thick tangles of cat-tails near the coast. 
In the tidal marshes they frequent the ditches, and nest in 
the high- tide bushes (Iva). 

The Wrens sing all day and through much of the night, 
often flying up over the cat-tails or grass, and singing as 
they descend. In making their way through cat-tails, they 
grasp the stalks with their strong feet, often standing with 
each foot on a separate stalk and their tails cocked over their 
backs so far that the white under tail-coverts show. When 
disturbed, they often show themselves only for a moment, 
and then disappear into the rushes, where they keep up a 
harsh scolding, or when reassured, pour out again their rapid, 
bubbling song. The alarm-note is 
an energetic tschuk. The nest is 
made of the stalks of cat-tails bent 
into a globular shape and fastened 
to cat-tails or to high-tide bushes. 
It is lined with the soft down from 
Fig. 5. Long-billed Marsh the cat-tail head, and is entered 
through an opening at the side. 
The nest that contains the eggs is often a shabby-looking 
affair, made of old brown stalks, while all about are empty 
nests of fresh green cat-tails. These are busily woven by the 
male — why, no one knows. 

The ivhite line over the eye, the blackish, unstreaked head, 
and the black patch on the iipper back distinguish this wren 
from the following species. 

Short-billed Maesh Wren. Cistothorus stellaris 
4.00 

Ad. — Upper parts brown, streaked with black and white ; 
lower parts huffy, especially on the sides; no distinct line over eye. 

Nest, globular, with the opening at the side; made of grasses 
bent over and fastened to the stalks of stout grass, on or near the 
ground. Eggs, white, generally unspotted. 





SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN 91 

The Short-billed Marsh Wren is a somewhat rare and 
local summer resident throughout southern and central New 
England and New York. It ar- 
rives in May and stays through 
September, While the Long-billed 
Marsh Wren lives among cat-tails, 
the Short-billed prefers the sedgy 
meadows that border sluggish fresh- 
water brooks or rivers. If the ^*----. 

meadow^s are extensive, there may Fig. 6. Short-billed Marsh 
be hundreds in a colony, or it may 

consist of only a pair or two. A few have been found as 
far north as Dublin, N". H., and several large colonies in 
Berkshire County, Mass. The bird is common in the Pur- 
gatory Meadows at Norwood, Mass., and in the marshes 
bordering the Sudbury at Wayland, Mass. 

While the song of the Long-billed Marsh Wren resembles 
the House Wren's in its volubility, that of the Short-billed 
Marsh Wren suggests rather some species of sparrow. It 
may be represented by the syllables tsip tsip tsip tsipper 
tsipper tsipper^ the first two or three notes staccato, the 
rest running rapidly down the scale. The call-note is like 
the opening note of the song. 

The bird clings to the grass stalks in the same attitude 
as its relative, with tail cocked over its back, but it may be 
distinguished by the absence of a ivliite line over the eye, 
and by its streaked head and upper hack, which lacks the 
black patch. 

Winter Wren. Olhiorchilus hlemalis 

4.0G. 

Ad. — Upper parts deep brown; line over eye pale brown or light 
taiony • wings and tail crossed with narrow dark bars ; under 
parts brownish or tawny, lighter than upper parts, but barred 
with blackish and white, and darker than in following species; 
tail less than l^iu. long. 



92 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTEEN NEW YORK 

Nest, on the ground, often under the roots of an overturned tree. 
Eggs,oiten six or seven, white, speckled with reddish-brown. 

The Winter Wren is a common summer resident of the 
Canadian Zone (see map, p. 15), a rare winter visitant in 
southern New England, and a not uncommon winter visitant 
in the lower Hudson Valley. It passes north in April, and 
returns in September and early October, but it is rarer as a 
migrant than its abundance in the north leads one to expect. 
In winter and on migration it frequents brush heaps, stone 
walls, or fallen trees, particularly along the banks of wood- 
land streams. It seldom sings while migrating. It breeds 
rarely in deep-wooded swamps on the upland of Worcester 
and Berkshire counties in Massachusetts, and in southern 
Vermont and New Hampshire, but as soon as one enters the 
damp forests of Mount Grey lock in Massachusetts, the Cats- 
kills, and the higher mountains of northern New York and 
Kew England, the song of the Winter Wren becomes one 
of the characteristic summer sounds ; it is as if the bird 
had been uncorked, Thoreau said, and the song left run- 
ning. 

The song is long and high, in two equally balanced parts, 
the first ending in a contralto trill, the second in a very high 
trill ; after a little interval the song is repeated or answered. 
The Wren sings either from some high dead stub, or from 
the mossy logs over which it creeps in search of food. 
When alarmed on the breeding-ground, the bird utters a 
sound like the syllables crrrri}?, and at other times a sharp 
chick, very like a note of the Song Sparrow, but quickly 
repeated. It has also a fashion of hohhing or curtsying 
when observed. When searching for food, it seems often 
to skip, rather than to fly, from one log to the next. 

To distinguish a Winter Wren from a House Wren is a 
difficult matter. Except in September, however, the two will 
rarely occur together. The House Wren is nearly an inch 
longer, and much of the additional length is in the tail ; its 



HOUSE WREN 93 

under jparts are lighter, and it is likely even in the fall to 
utter its grating scolding-note. The Winter Wren utters a 
chick of surprise, and generally bobs or curtsies ; this bob- 
bing action will identify it at once. The Winter Wren has 
a light line over the eye, which the House Wren lacks, but 
the line is often rather indistinct, and especially difficult to 
see clearly on such an active and secretive bird. 

House Wren. Troglodytes aedon 
5.00 

Ad. — Upper parts warm brown ; wings and tail faintly barred 
with black ; under parts grayish, the flanks faintly barred with 
black ; bill long, slender ; tail more than 11 in. long. 

Nest, of sticks, etc., in a hole in a tree or box. Eggs, sometimes 
as many as eight, thickly speckled with pinkish-brown. 

The House W^ren is a common summer resident in most 
of New England and the lower Hudson Valley, but it is a 
local bird, and may be wholly absent from certain regions. It 
is rare in northern New England, and confined to the Transi- 
tion Zone. Occasionally it is found nesting in dead trees in 
the burnt tracts away from the settlements, but as a rule any 
wren seen in the forests of northern New England is a Win- 
ter Wren. The House Wren arrives late in April, or early 
in May, and stays till October. It frequents apple orchards, 
or the yards about houses. Its small size, brown, unstreaked 
upper parts, and its pert ways readily distinguish it from 
other small birds. It often cocks its tail over its back, espe- 
cially when scolding an intruder. When it sings, it holds its 
tail pointed downward. 

The House Wren's song is a vigorous, bubbling perform- 
ance, the notes following each other very rapidly. Its scold- 
ing-note is a harsh grating chatter, often uttered by the bird 
from its hiding-place in a stone wall or a brush heap, into and 
out of which it slips with the ease of a mouse. (See preced- 
ing species.) 




94 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Carolina When. Thryothorus ludovicianus 
5.50 

Ad. — Upper parts rich reddish-brown; line over eye whitish^ 
throat white; breast and belly washed with buff. 

Nest, bulkj, of sticks, etc., in a hole in a tree or in some cavity 
about buildings. Egffs, whitish, speckled about the larger end 
with reddish-brown. 

The Carolina Wren is a very rare permanent resident of 
southern Ehode Island and southern Connecticut, and a 
rather common summer resident of 
the eastern slope of the Palisades ; 
it occasionally wanders into Massa- 
chusetts. The bird's favorite haunts 
are brushy tangles. If a male is 
.v>^-, anywhere about he can hardly be 

^ ^ ,. „^ overlooked; he is a constant singer, 

Fig. 7. Carohna Wren / ^ ' 

even in winter, and his song is so 

loud and clear that it can be heard easily a quarter of a 

mile away. It consists of short phrases of from two to four 

notes repeated again and again in a loud clear whistle. These 

phrases vary greatly ; some of the common forms may be 

written twijo'pity, Uuip'jntij ; ivhiddy you', tchiddy you' 

whiddy you' ; thri'ou, thri'ou, thri'ou. Certain phrases 

suggest notes both of the Cardinal and the Tufted Tit ; a 

beginner should make a careful study of the notes of these 

three species. The alarm-note is a rather smooth peurr. 

A Carolina Wren is easily recognized by its wren-like 

behavior, by the rich brown of its upper parts, and by the 

conspicuous ivhitish line over its eye. 



Thrashers and Mockingbirds: Subfamily Miminae 

The Catbird, Brown Thrasher, and Mockingbird form a 
closely related group, which is included in the same family 
with the Wrens. 



BROWN THRASHER 95 

Brown Thrasher. Toxostoma rufum 
11.42 

Ad. — Upper parts reddish-brown ; wing-bars white; bill long, 
slightly curved; tail very long; under parts white; breast, belly, 
and sides of the throat spotted with black. 

Nest, of coarse twigs, on the ground, or in a low bush. Eggs, 
white, thickly speckled with reddish-brown. 

The Brown Thrasher, or Brown Thrush, is a common 
summer resident of southern New England and the lower 
Hudson Valley ; it becomes less common on the upland of 
central Kew England and is absent from all the less culti- 
vated northern portions of New York and New England. 
It arrives toward the middle of April and remains till Octo- 
ber. It frequents dry, scrubby growth, roadside thickets 
and overgrown pastures, scratching on the ground and slip- 
ping into the bushes when alarmed, with the ease of its com- 
panion the Chewink ; it may often be seen running in the 
roads. When a pair have a nest or a young bird hidden in 
a thicket, they manifest great excitement at the approach of 
an intruder, uttering a loud smack and a mournful ti-yoo-oo, 
or a puffing or hissing sound. The yellow eye seems to 
glare at such times. The male sings from a high perch, 
often the uppermost spray of a tall tree, with tail depressed. 
The song is the most brilliant performance given by our 
New England birds, a succession of finely executed phrases, 
very often in pairs, and of great variety. Thoreau's phrasing 
of it is, '' Drop it, drop it, — cover it up, cover it up, — 
pull it up, pull it up, pull it up." 

A Brown Thrasher is readily told by the reddish-hrown 
color of its upper parts and by its long fail. 

Catbird. Galeos'coptes carolincnsis 
8.04 
Ad. — Entire body slaty grai/, except the head and tail, which 
are black ; feathers under base of tail chostnut. 

Nest, of sticks, in a thick bush. Eggs, glossy grceuish-blue. 



96 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

The Catbird is a common summer resident of New Eng- 
land and New York, except in the mountainous northern 
portions, though it is found along large streams even in 
northern Maine. It arrives in May and lingers into October. 
It frequents shrubbery and thickets, especially the tangles 
of vines and bushes near water. It is fond of fruit, and 
may often be seen in midsummer with a raspberry in its 
bill. Its ordinary call-note, from which it gets its name, is 
familiar ; it is, perhaps, more snarling than a cat's mew. It 
utters, besides, a mellow chuck, and occasionally a grating 
chatter, kak kak kak. Its song is very similar to that of 
the Thrasher, but it is not so vigorous, and though it un- 
doubtedly does contain fine passages, it is marred by the 
constant introduction of harsh phrases. When singing, the 
Catbird often sits on some high spray, with tail depressed ; 
when it hops along the ground or on a fence, the tail is 
either cocked at an angle or thrown jauntily from side to 
side. The bird always has an alert, saucy air. 

Mockingbird. Mimus polyglottos 
10.50 

Ad. — Upper parts ash-gray; wings black, with a hroad white 
bar ; three inner pairs of tail-feathers black, fourth and fifth pairs 
white, edged with black, outer pair white; under parts grayish- 
white. 

Nest, of twigs, weed-stalks, etc., in a thick bush or low tree. 
Eggs, bluish or greenish, spotted with reddish-brown. 

The Mockingbird is a rare visitant in southern New Eng- 
land and the lower Hudson Valley ; there are several records 
of its breeding in New England, notably near Springfield. 
Single birds are not infrequently seen, especially in the fall 
or early spring ; some of these may, of course, be escaped 
cage-birds. An observer must guard carefully against taking 
a Shrike for a Mockingbird ; the two birds resemble each 
other somewhat in figure and coloration, but the Shrike in 



AMEEICAN PIPIT 97 

adult plumage has black wings and tail and a black stripe 
through the eye, while the Mockingbird has brown wings 
and tail and a gray head. If the bill can be examined at 
close range, the two birds can be readily distinguished ; the 
Shrike's is like a Hawk's, thick and hooked ; the Mocking- 
bird's is like a Catbird's, long and rather slender, with no 
hook. (See Fig. 30.) 



TITLARKS : FAMILY MOTACILLIDJE 

American Pipit ; Titlark. Anthus pensilvanicus 

6.38 

Ad. — Upper parts brownish-gray ; end of outer tail-feathers 
white; next pair tipped with white ; line over eye whitish or 
buffy; throat white; breast streaked with black; belly white. 

The Titlark is a migrant through New England and New 
York, rare in New England in spring, but common in the 
fall, especially near the coast. It passes north in April and 
May, and returns in late September, October, and early 
November. Near the coast it frequents the short grass of the 
tidal marshes or grassy hills, where it feeds in company with 
Shore Larks and Snow Buntings. It often occurs in large 
flocks, which rise when disturbed and fly off over the marsh 
with a shrill tsee-tseep tsee-tsee-tseep, very like the call- 
notes of the Shore Lark. Inland it is fond of ploughed 
fields, mud-flats, or low meadows, but is also found on 
grassy hilltops, even at great elevation. Its long tail is 
constantly wagged as it walks ; this wagging should iden- 
tify it at once, as the birds with which it consorts do 
not have this trick, and the other birds that do, the water- 
thrushes, etc., are not found in open fields. "When the 
Titlark flies, it shows two outer tail-feathers tipped with 
'white. 



98 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

WARBLERS (PROPERLY WOOD-WARBLERS) : 
FAMILY MNIOTILTIDiE 

The term Warblers is applied in Araerica to a very large 
family of small birds, many of which live almost wholly in 
trees. The number of species to be distinguished often dis- 
courages a beginner, but many are confined almost wholly 
to certain kinds of country, and much may be done by 
learning where to expect each one. The males, moreover, 
are generally brightly marked, often with yellow ; the fe- 
males and young are harder to distinguish. Half a dozen 
species occur commonly throughout New York and New 
England and are easily distinguished, both by their appear- 
ance and from the kind of country which they prefer ; 
these are : the Eedstart, wherever trees and open spaces are 
combined, especially near water and often near our houses ; 
the Northern Yellow-throat, in* low bushes in wet places ; 
the Black and White Warbler, on the trunks of trees in 
open woodland ; the Oven-bird, on or near the ground in all 
kinds of woodland ; the Black-throated Green, in evergreens, 
and the Yellow Warbler, either in the shrubbery near 
houses, or in the willows along water-courses. The Chestnut- 
sided Warbler occurs nearly everywhere in New England, 
being absent only M'here extensive coniferous forests still 
exist ; it ddlights in dry roadside thickets and the second- 
growth in clearings. The Pine Warbler is common wher- 
ever pitch pine is abundant ; it breeds also in white pine 
groves, but is not found in the Canadian Zone. In the 
spruce forests of northern New England the Myrtle Warbler 
is abundant, occurring even in the dooryard, if spruce-trees 
surround the house. In wilder country, where young spruces 
grow, the Black and Yellow Warbler is common, and on 
mountains, in stunted spruce, the Black-poll is abundant. 

In southern New York and New England the northern 
species occur as more or less common migrants in April and 



AMERICAN REDSTART 99 

May, and September and October. They are to be looked 
for in the broad valleys of large streams, or near the 
coast, occurring in almost any bit of woodland or orchard 
along their paths of migration (see p. 11) ; they now occur 
in mixed flocks, often associating with Vireos and Kinglets, 
between which they are intermediate in size. Their songs 
are seldom beautiful, and often hard to distinguish ; they 
are in full song in spring, but few sing in the fall. Several 
species change their plumage in the fall ; the Black-poll, 
Myrtle, and Yellow Palm "Warblers are the commonest ex- 
amples of this class. 

The Oven-bird, the Water-thrushes, and the Yellow Palm 
Warbler obtain their food on the ground ; the Black and 
White Warbler gleans from the trunks and large limbs ; the 
Kedstart often pursues an insect through the air ; the Yellow- 
rump is an expert fly-catcher, but in winter lives largely on 
bayberries. The Parula and the Blue-winged Yellow often 
cling to the tip of a twig like a Chickadee. Nearly all the 
others pick their food, chiefly insects, from twigs and leaves. 

Amekican Bedstart. Setophaga ruticilla 
5.41 

Ad. $. — Head, throat, and back lustrous black; sides of 
breast and flanks reddish-orange ; large bar across iviiig and tail 
light salmon ; tips of tail-feathers black for a third of their length ; 
belly white. Ad. ?. — Head gray ; throat grayish-white, orange 
and salmon replaced by yellow. Young $ resembles the female 
until the third year. 

Nest, a soft cup, generally in the crotch of a tree or sapling 
from ten to thirty feet up. Eggs, thickly spotted with dark brown, 
chiefly around the larger end. 

The Kedstart is a common summer resident througliout 
New York and New England, absent only at high altitudes. 
It arrives early in INlay and remains through September. 
The male Bedstart's briglit colors always attract attention 
and excite admiration, and, unlike its rival, the Blackburnian 



cf C. 



100 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Warbler, it may easily be seen by the beginner. It is com- 
mon in the shrubbery about dwellings, and in its restless 
course flies from twig to twig, sometimes pursuing an in- 
sect to the ground at the observer's feet. Both sexes haA^e 
a habit of keeping the tail spread like a fan, so that the 
yellow or salmon band is very conspicuous. 

It needs practice to distinguish the song of this species 
from that of the Yellow Warbler, often its neighbor about 
our houses. The Redstart's song is less complicated : wee'- 
see'-see' is its shortest form ; ivee'-see-ivee'-see-ivee^ is an- 
other. All the phrases are on one key, and are almost never 
followed by the additional phrase with which the song of 
the Yellow Warbler ends. The male in his first spring 
wears the gray and yellow of the female, so that one often 
hears the song uttered apparently by the female. 

Caxadian Warbler. Wilsonia canadensis 

5.61 

Ad. $ . — Upper parts ashy gray ; crown blackish, especially 

on the forehead ; breast crossed by a hroad hand of black spots 

which separate the yellow throat from the yellow belly. Ad. ^ and 

Im. — The blackish crown lacking ; spots on breast faint. 

Nest, in mossy banks and under roots. Eggs, white, spotted 
about the larger end with reddish-brown. 

The Canadian Warbler is a migrant through southern New 
England and the lower Hudson Yalley in the second half 
of May and in September. As a 
migrant it is found chiefly in wet 
woodland, where it keeps rather low 
in the bushes, though it may occur 
in dry places, and when singing 
often mounts fairly high in trees. 
It breeds from the edge of the 
Canadian Zone northward, occurring 
Fig. 8. Canadian Warbler here and there in deep, cool swamps, 




WILSONS WAEBLER 101 

even in central and eastern Massachusetts^ and not uncom- 
monly in the highlands of western Massachusetts. It is 
often abundant in the thickets of mountain maple on ill- 
drained mountain summits. It is very inquisitive, and an 
intruder may frequently hear its alarm-note, chick, or catch 
a glimpse of the black '^ necklace " across its yellow breast 
as it flies low in the bushes. Its song is a rather hurried out- 
pouring of notes, introduced by the same chick which it uses 
as an alarm-note. (See Magnolia Warbler, Eig. 18, p. 119.) 

Wilson's Warbler. Wilsonia pusilla 

5.00 

$ . — Upper parts bright olive-green in a strong light ; crown 
black ; forehead and under parts bright yellow. 9 • — Black 
crown generally wanting. 

Nest, on the ground in wet woods. Eggs, white, speckled with 
reddish-brown, and with lavender. 

The Wilson's Warbler is a rather uncommon migrant 
through New England and New York, occurring in the latter 
half of May and in September. It breeds 
rarely in the extreme northern and 
eastern portions of Maine. It is gen- 
erally found in trees or bushes near 
water, along the edges of swamps or in 
the bushy borders of streams, though, 
like most migrants, it may appear, when Fig. 9. Wilson's 
more than usually common, in any '" ^'^ 

suitable cover. Its song suggests to most observers the 
song of the Yellow Warbler ; it is briefer, less lively, and 
ends in some rapidly delivered notes. It is a restless little 
bird, difficult to observe. The yellow of the under parts 
first attracts attention ; then a glimpse of its dark back dis- 
tinguishes it from the female Yellow A^'arbler, but a sight 
of the black croirn bordered bi/ the yellow fore/iead is 
necessary for an absolute identification. 




102 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTEEN NEW YORK 

Hooded Warbler. Wilso?iia mitrata 
5.67 

Ad. $. — Fovehead and cheeks bright yello IV ; top of head and 
throat black, inclosing the yellow cheeks ; under parts yellow ; 
back brown (olivaceous in strong light) ; outer tail-feathers white. 
Ad. ^ and Im. — The black of the throat absent or inconspicuous. 

Nest, in a crotch of a bush or saphng about four feet up. 
Eggs., white, spotted, generally about the larger end, with red- 
dish-brown. 

The Hooded Warbler is a summer resident of southern 
Connecticut and the lower Hudson Valley, arriving early in 
May and leaving in August. It is locally common along 
the Sound and in the Connecticut A'alley, and in northern 
Xew Jersey. At Engiewood and at Fort Lee, X. J., 
it frequents rich swampy woods, feeding either in the 
undergrowth, or in tall trees. In 
southern Connecticut it seems to 
prefer woods with extensive under- 
growth of mountain laurel. It is 
an active bird, and has a loud, 
bright song. The song varies con- 
siderably; in some forms the open- 
ing notes have something of the 
Fig. 10. Hooded Warbler .yii^lness and sweetness of the Field 
Sparrow's song, and are followed by notes with an upward 
inflection, suggesting those of the Black and Yellow War- 
bler. The alarm-note is a sharp chip. The male is unmis- 
takable; the female may be known by her yellow forehead 
and white outer tail-feathers. 

Yellows-breasted Chat. Icteria virens 

7.44 

Ad. — Upper parts brown, tinged with green in strong light; 
throat and breast rich yellow , eyelids, a line over the eye, and 
another under the cheek white ; line from eye to bill black ; belly 
white. 




NORTHERN YELLOW-THROAT 103 

Nest, rather bulky, of coarse grasses, leaves, and strips of bark, 
low in a thicket. Eggs, white, speckled and spotted with reddish- 
brown. 

The Yellow-breasted Chat is a common summer resident 
of southern Connecticut and the lower Hudson Valley ; in 
southern Ehode Island it is locally common ; northward 
it becomes rare, and though found sparingly in the 
valleys of Berkshire County, Mass., and rather commonly 
at Swampscott, Mass., it does not seem to breed north 
of the latter State. The Chat arrives in May and leaves 
in August. Its favorite haunts are tangled briery thick- 
ets, or thick bushes in clearings. Here it soon makes 
its presence known by its loud calls. These are of aston- 
ishing variety, and sometimes absurdly grotesque. When 
uttering them the bird is often concealed in the thicket ; 
at such a time he frequently utters his notes with such 
modulations and in such different keys that he seems now 
close at hand, and now far away. When singing on a 
limb, he turns with an air of ludicrous gravity from side to 
side, and in the height of the breeding season dances jerkily 
in the air with outstretched legs. The commoner calls are 
a loud too too too^ resembling somewhat the song of the 
White-bellied Nuthatch, a whistled whit, and various 
clucking and mewing sounds. 

Northern Yellow-throat ; Maryland Yellow- 
throat. Geothlypis trichas hrachydactyla 
5.33 

Ad. $ . — Upper parts deep olive-green in strong light ; fore- 
head and hroad line through eye black, bordered above by ashy 
gray; throat and breast bright yellow; belly yellowish. Ad. 9- 
— Without the black or ashy lines ; throat and breast yellowish ; 
belly whitish. 

Nest, on the ground or in a tussock, a deep structure of 
leaves and grasses. Eggs, speckled with brown at the larger 
end. 




104 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

The Northern Yellow-throat (known formerly as the 

Maryland Yellow-throat) is a common summer resident of 

all New England and New York, arriving early in May 

and staying till October. In southern 

New England it is largely confined 

to swampy thickets, or the bushy 

borders of streams ; but farther north, 

where the upland is ill-drained, it is 

common in the roadside bushes, even 

Fig. 11. Northern on the hills. Its mask of black, like 

Yellow-throat ■, . , ,. •j.i-i.i-ij. 

a domino, contrasting with its bright 
yellow throat, its nervous actions, twitchings of the tail, 
and manner of climbing up the stalks of reeds or twigs, 
all serve to call attention to it and to fix its appearance in 
the mind. 

The Yellow-throat's song is loud and emphatic and at- 
tracts attention. It varies in different localities, but the same 
form is generally used by birds of one region ; there are dia- 
lects, in other words. Three common forms are, (a) tuee'- 
see-see, luee' -see-see, wee'-see-see, (b) ivee-see'-ser, wee-see'- 
ser, wee-see' -ser, and (c) wee-see-see^-see, ivee-see-see'-see, 
wee-see-see' -see. At intervals the male mounts a short dis- 
tance into the air, and while descending utters a series 
of chips, followed by a bit of the ordinary song. The call- 
note is a rather loud tchek ; the bird has also a rapid, 
rather wren-like chatter; in fact, its form and many of 
its actions suggest a wren, but no wren shows yellow any- 
where. 

The female, though less conspicuous, may be distin- 
guished from other small yellow-throated birds by the low, 
wet situation w^here she is found, and by her nervous -ways. 
No Pine Warbler would be found in the places which she 
frequents ; the occasional Nashville Warbler or female 
Yellow Warbler that might occur there would be yellow or 
yellowish on the belly, as well as on the throat. 



MOURNING WARBLER . 105 

Mourning Warbler. Geothlyjns Philadelphia 
5.63 

Ad. ^ . — Head and neck bluish-gray, mixed with black on the 
throat ; breast black ; back, wings, and tail brown, tinged with green 
in strong light ; belly bright yellow. 9 • — Head, neck, and breast 
brown, or brownish-gray ; back, wings, tail, and belly as in $ . 

Nest, on or near the ground. Eggs, white, spotted with brown or 
reddish-brown. 

The Mourning Warbler is a rare migrant through south- 
ern and central New England and the Hudson Valley, occur- 
ring late in May or early in June. In migration, the bird 
frequents dry, bushy banks. On Mount Greylock in Massa- 
chusetts, on the higher Catskills, and from central Vermont 
and New Hampshire northward, the bird is a somewhat local 
summer resident, nowhere very common. It frequents clear- 
ings and burnt tracts, where in the thickets of mountain ma- 
ple under fallen trees it searches for food, or utters its rather 
striking song. It also sings from the tops of small trees, and 
occasionally delivers an outburst in the air. The song may 
be written thurree, thurree, thurree, generally followed by 
two or three lower notes. Whether the accent is on the first 
or second syllable is hard to tell, but a throaty quality, and 
the presence of the letter r, characterize the song, and a 
glance at the gray, black, and yellow of the singer identifies 
him at once. 

Connecticut Warbler. Geothlypis agllis 

5.40 

Ad. $ . — Head, neck, and upper breast ash-gray ; ring around 
eye white ; back, wings, and tail brown, tinged with greenish-yel- 
low in strong light ; belly bright yellow. Ad. 9 'ind Im. — Upper 
parts, wings, and tail brown, tinged with greenish-yellow in strong 
light ; throat and upper breast brownish ; rest of under parts yel- 
low ; ring around eye brownish-white. 

The Connecticut Warbler is a rare /(^ll migrant through 
New England and the Hudson Valley, occurring in the latter 



106 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

half of September and in early October. In the swamps 
about Fresh Pond in Cambridge, Mass., it is sometimes 
common. In such places it feeds in the jewel-weed 
{Imioatiens), great masses of which grow in the wet soil. In 
western Massachusetts it occurs in rather dry lanes. It is 
more leisurely in its behavior than its relative the ISTorthern 
or Maryland Yellow-throat, and when disturbed often flies 
to some low limb near by, where it sits quietly. An adult 
in full plumage is rare, but the bird may always be distin- 
guished from the female Northern Yellow-throat by its 
throat, which is brownish where the other species is yellow, 
and by its hright yellow under parts. If the bird is seen 
at close range, a whitish eye-ring is visible. 

Kentucky Warbler. Geothlypis formosa 
5.40 

Ad. $. — Crown and stripe from bill along side of throat 
black ; line over eye and under parts bright yellow j back, wings, 
and tail brown, tinged with greenish-yellow in strong light. 
Ad. 9 • — Similar, but the black veiled with gray. 

Nest, of dried leaves on the ground. Eggs, white, spotted with 
brown or reddish-brown. 

The Kentucky Warbler is a rather common, though local, 
summer resident of the lower Hudson Valley as far north as 
Sing Sing. It arrives early in May 
and leaves late in August. It fre- 
quents low damp woods, spending 
most of its time on or near the 
ground. Its song is loud and bright. 
Fig. 12. Kentucky and resembles the syllables tweedle, 
^'^'^^"^ tiaeedle, tweedle. The Northern Yel- 

low-throat has been taken for the Kentucky Warbler ; the 
yelloiu line over the eye is the distinguishing mark of the 
latter. 




LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH 107 

Louisiana Watek-thrush. Seiurus motacilla 
6.28 

Ad. — Upper parts grayish-brown; line over the eye pure white; 
under parts white, tinged in strong light with buffy; throat un- 
spotted ; breast and flanks streaked with black. 

Nest, placed under the bank of a stream or under the roots of 
an overturned tree. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-brown. 

The Louisiana Water-thrush is a summer resident of 
Berkshire County, Mass., of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and 
the lower Hudson Valley. It is rare in Berkshire County, 
local in Bhode Island and northern Connecticut, but fairly 
common in southern Connecticut and along the Hudson ; 
it even penetrates the Catskills, following the mountain 
streams. It arrives in the middle of April, often a fort- 
night before the northern species, and leaves before Sep- 
tember. Though it does to some extent frequent swampy 
woods and sluggish woodland streams, as at Englewood, 
N. J., yet its favorite haunts are clear mountain brooks, 
where it trips over the stones, or utters its wild ringing 
song from the branches of the overhanging trees. Like 
its relative, it has a habit of wagging the tail as it 
walks. 

During May, both the northern and the southern species 
occur in southern New England and the Hudson Valley. 
The southern species may then be distinguished by the 
pure ivhite line over the eye and by the nnsjiotted throat. 
Its song, generally described as wilder than that of the north- 
ern species, and the call-note, may both be distinguished by 
a practiced ear, but a beginner must depend for identifica- 
tion either on the time of year, or on the white line over the 
eye and the unspotted throat. A Water-thrush seen in 
southern New England or New York between the tenth of 
June and the first of August will, almost undoubtedly, be 
the southern species. 



108 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Water-thrush. Seiurus novehoracensis 
6.04 

Ad. — Upper parts dark brown ; line over the eye whitish, huffy in 
a stro7ig light ; under parts buffy ; everywhere spotted with black. 

Nest, on or near the ground. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish- 
brown. 

The Water-thrush is a common migrant through southern 
and central New York and New England during May, and 
again in August and September. From central New Hamp- 
shire, through northern Maine, and in the AdirondackSj it is 
a summer resident, frequenting the swampy edges of lakes, 
swampy woods, or the pools in mountain streams. In migra- 
tion it may be found in any low, wet ground, under trees or 
bushes, picking its way along the edges of the water, con- 
stantly wagging its tail. Its song is loud and clear and may 
be represented by the syllables tivit tiuit tivit ttvee twee 
tioee^oo, all very staccato, and the last notes going down 
the scale. The call-note is a clear, metallic chip. (See pre- 
ceding species.) 

Oven-bird. Seiurus aurocapilliis 
6.17 

Ad. — Upper parts brown; crown dull orange, edged with black; 
breast and sides spotted with black. 

Nest, a bulky structure of dry leaves and stalks, on the ground, 
with the opening at the side. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish- 
brown. 

The Oven-bird is a common summer resident throughout 
New England and New York, arriving early in May and 
lingering through September. It inhabits woodland of every 
sort, if there are open spaces under the trees where it may 
walk over the ground in search of food. It prefers, how- 
ever, dry open woods of deciduous trees. Here its loud 
song. Teacher, Teacher, TEACHEE, TEACH, to modify 
Mr. Burroughs' s version, is one of the first sounds to attract 




PRAIKIE WAEBLER 109 

the ear. When uttering it, the bird is generally perched on 
a rather high limb^ but at other times it walks with pinkish 
feet over the dry leaves or along 
some low limb, with a constant 
upward tilt of the tail. Towards 
evening and at intervals during the 
night, one is surprised, while walking 
in or near woodland, by a burst of 
rather rapid music from a bird high 
overhead, and as he shoots earth- 
ward a few phrases remind one of p^.^ 23, Oven-bird 
the teacher teach of the Oven-bird. 

This is the famous flight-song of the Oven-bird, not rare, 
but rarely heard, unless one happen to live in the very woods. 
Its alarm-note is a vigorous tschuk. When the brooding 
female is frightened off the nest, she tries to draw the in- 
truder away from the spot by fluttering helplessly along the 
ground, trailing behind her an apparently broken wing. 

Prairie Warbler. Dendroica discolor 
4.75 

Ad. $ . — Upper parts with a strong greenish tinge, when seen 
in strong light; when the bird is seen from above, reddish-brown 
markings show in the middle of the back ; forehead, a line over 
eye, and a spot below eye yellow; spot in front of eye and stripe 
below eye black; wing-bars yellowish; breast hriglit yelloio with 
hlach streaks down the sides. Ad. 9- — With less, sometimes no 
reddish-brown on the back, Im. — Upper parts olive-green; under 
parts yellow; no wing-bars. 

Nest, in a bush or low tree, generally Hned with horse-hair. 
Eggs, white, speckled with dark brown, chiefly about the larger end. 

The Prairie Warbler is a summer resident of southern 
New England and Long Island, but is rare in northern 
New Jersey and in tlie lower Hudson A^alley ; it is not 
found north of Massachusetts, except in a few stations in 
the Merrimac Valley, nor does it occur, so far as I know, 




110 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

in the interior of the State. It is found in dry, scrubby 
second-growth, especially on sandy soil. It is abundant on 
Martha's Vineyard and on parts of Cape Cod, but rare or 
only locally common over most of its range. It arrives 
early in May, and leaves in September. 

The Prairie Warbler's song is a series of sharp, thin notes 
running rapidly up the scale. They may be distinguished 
from the Parula's notes by their thin- 
ness ; the Parula's voice is wheezy, 
nor would it be often heard in the hot, 
dry situations in which the Prairie 
Warbler delights. 

The Canada Warbler (p. 100), the 
Black and Yellow (p. 118), and the 
Fig. 14. Prairie Warbler y^re Cape May also have yellow under 
parts streaked with black. Only in the Prairie Warbler, 
however, is the black confined to the sides. The Canada 
Warbler, moreover, chooses low, wet places, even on migra- 
tion, and in summer the breeding areas of the two birds 
hardly overlap. 

Yellow Palm Warbler ; Yellow Redpoll. Dendroica 

palmarum hypochrysea 

5.43 

Ad. in spring. — Crown chestnut; back brownish; under parts 
bright yellow; sides of throat, breast, and sides of belly streaked 
with reddish-brown ; no white wing-bars. Ad. in fall and Im. — 
Crown-patch concealed; under parts as above. 

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, bufEy white, speckled with brown. 

The Yellow Palm Warbler or Yellow Redpoll is a mi- 
grant through New England and New York, appearing in 
April and early May, and again in September and early 
October. It breeds sparingly in open juniper-bogs in north- 
ern and eastern Maine (Knight). In spring it is a bird of 
stone walls, bushes, and low trees, feeding often on the 



WESTERN PALM WAEBLER 111 

ground. Its song resembles that of the Chipping Sparrow, 
but is less strong even than that simple performance. It is 
often associated in migration with the Yellow-rumped War- 
bler ; the songs of the two Warblers are both rather feeble, 
but the Yellow Redpoll's is rougher and less likely to rise 
or • fall into a different key. 

The Yellow Palm Warbler has in spring a chestnut 
crown, like that of a Chipping Sparrow, but its bright yel- 
low under parts distinguish it, of course, from that bird. 
It has, moreover, a trick of constantly tvagging its tail up 
and down ; this habit distinguishes it readily from the two 
other warblers with yellow under parts, the Nashville and 
the Yellow Warbler. (See also the account of the Black- 
poll Warbler in autumn, p. 116.) 

Palm Warbler. Dendroica palmarum 
5.25 
The Western Palm Warbler is a regular, though rare, mi- 
grant in the latter half of September, generally appearing 
earlier than the preceding species. Its habits and haunts 
are similar to those of the Yellow Palm Warbler, and it 
takes a trained eye to distinguish between the two. Its 
breast, throat, and upper belly are all dingy whitish, only 
the extreme lower belly and the feathers under the tail are 
bright yellow. The eastern bird is yellow over the entire 
under parts. 

Pine Warbler. Dendrolca vlgorsii 

5.52 

Ad. $. — Upper parts with a strong greenish-yellow tinge in 
a good light; wing-bars whitish; throat and breast //fZ/ow, brightest 
on the throat; belly paler. Ad. 9- — Upper parts brownish with 
fainter greenish-yellow tinge; under parts grayish-white with a 
faint tinge of yellowish on the breast; wing-bars narrower, gray- 
ish. Im. — Similar to 9> but without any yellowish tinge; wing- 
bars very faint. 



112 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Nest, generally in pines, from twenty to fifty feet up. Eggs, 
dull white, spotted with brown, chiefly about the larger end. 

The Pine Warbler is a common summer resident of cen- 
tral New England and of parts of Long Island ; in northern 
New Jersey, the lower Hudson Valley, and in southern Con- 
necticut it occurs only as a migrant. In the valleys of the 
Housatonic, Connecticut, and Merrimac, and in southern 
Maine it is found as far north as the pitch pine grows, but 
it also occurs sparingly near its northern limit in groves of 
tall white pine. It is the first warbler to arrive in spring, 
appearing early in April, and it lingers till the middle of 
October, singing freely again toward the end of its stay. 
In the spring, the bird often descends to the ground to 
feed, and it may in any case be more easily observed in the 
loose growing pitch pines than the equally common Black- 
throated Green Warbler in the dense white pines. The 
movements of the Pine Warbler are leisurely, and it stops 
continually to shake out the sweet trill which constitutes its 
song. 

The song resembles in form the Chipping Sparrow's and 
the Snowbird's, but is sweeter and less staccato than either 
of these songs ; moreover, it is rarely heard outside of a 
pine grove. At the height of the breeding season the trill is 
occasionally followed by a few additional notes in a lower 
key. 

The resemblance of the Pine Warbler in pattern of color- 
ation to the Yellow-throated Yireo is discussed on p. 134. 
The dull colors of the female Pine Warbler make her one 
of the most difficult birds to recognize ; the faint tinge of 
yellow on the breast is perceptible only at close range in 
good light, and the wing-bars are narrow and grayish. The 
shape of the bill, of course, indicates that she is a warbler ; 
it is often only by a process of elimination that one dis- 
covers her identity. The young birds in autumn are even 
more non-committal. 



BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER 113 

Black-throated Green Warbler. Dendroica virens 

5.10 

Ad. $. — Back greenish in strong light; wing-bars broad, 
white ; cheeks and forehead yellow; middle of throat, upper breast, 
and sides black ; belly white, running up into the black area. Ad. 
9 . — The yellow cheeks duller, tinged with greenish ; black 
throat almost obscured with gray ; wing-bars white. Im. — Show- 
ing hardly any black on the throat. 

Nest, from fifteen to fifty feet up in coniferous trees. 

The Black-throated Green Warbler is a common summer 
resident of most of New York and New England ; in north- 
ern New Jersey, the lower Hudson 
Valley, and southwestern Connecticut 
it occurs only as a migrant. It arrives 
late in April or early in May ; north- 
ern individuals occur in September 
and early October in the mixed 
flocks of migrating warblers. It is 

the chief inhabitant of the white ^'S-}f- Black-throated 

. Green Warbler 

pines, where one hears continually 

its wheezy notes. It is also a common resident of the red 
cedar or savin groves of southern New England and of the 
spruces of northern New England and New York. In mi- 
gration it is common in deciduous trees. 

The song of this warbler has two forms, one quicker 
than the other; they may be written zee zee zu zi and 
zi zi zi zi zee zu zi. When a male is singing freely, he 
often keeps up a chipping note through the short intervals 
between the repetitions of his song. 

The bird is seldom clearly seen, though its notes are so 
constant, but as it comes to the end of a twig, one gets from 
below a glimpse of the hrigJit y el loir c/ieels, the b/ack 
throat, and the entering angle of white between the blacJx 
sides. The only other small bird with a black throat and 
yellow about the head is the Golden-winged Warbler. In 




114 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

this species the cheeks are clear black and white and only 
the top of the head is yellow ; the black throat, too, covers 
only a small area, not extending down the sides, nor is the 
Golden-winged Warbler found in pines. (See Fig. 22, p. 127.) 
The songs of the two species and of the Black-throated 
Blue have something of the same quality of tone, but differ 
decidedly in form. The Black-throated Blue utters three 
notes, the last two drawled, and generally with a rising 
inflection. The song of the Golden-winged Warbler may be 
written zee zee-zee-zee, the first note long, the next three a 
bit lower and quicker. 

Blackburnian Warbler. Dendroica hlackhurnice 
6.25 

Ad. $ . — Crown and line under eye black ; back black, streaked 
with gray ; wide bar on wing white ; throat, breast, and line over 
eye bright reddish-orange ; sides of breast streaked with black ; 
belly whitish. Ad, 9 • — Similar, but duller, yellow replacing the 
orange. Im. — Similar to the female ; the back browner, the yel- 
low paler. 

Nest, in evergreen trees, from ten to forty feet up. Eggs, 
greenish-white, speckled or spotted, chiefly about the larger end, 
with reddish-brown. 

The Blackburnian Warbler is a migrant through south- 
ern New England and the Hudson Valley, in May and Sep- 
tember, rare in eastern Kew England, but fairly common 
in western New England and in the Hudson Valley. It 
breeds from the edge of the Canadian Zone northward, lo- 
cally in deep hemlocks or pine woods at the southern border 
of its range, commonly in the coniferous forests of the north. 

The song of the Blackburnian Warbler is characterized by 
its extreme thinness ; one form resembles a very wiry Red- 
start's song, but the commoner form, by which the bird may 
always be recognized, may be described by the syllables luee, 
see, see, see, zi, zi, zi, ending in the thinnest note imagin- 
able. The singer is generally feeding high in thick ever- 



BLACK-POLL WAKBLER 115 

greens, and it is only now and then, when he comes out to 
the tip of a twig, that his splendid color is visible. If seen, 
it can never be mistaken or forgotten. The deep orange 
of the throat and breast are unlike the color of any other 
small bird, except the Redstart, where the orange is on 
the sides of the breast and the throat is black. The female 
and young may be known by the suggestion of buff in the 
yellow throat, and by the white wing-patch. 

Black-poll Warbler. Dendroica striata 
5.56 

Ad. $ . — Crown black ; back gray, streaked with black ; wing- 
bars white ; cheeks white ; under parts white, the sides streaked 
with black. Ad. 9- — Upper parts gray, showing black streaks 
and a greenish tinge in strong light ; wing-bars white ; sides 
streaked with dull black. Ad. in winter and Im. — Similar to the 
female, but more yellowish below, and the streaking on the back 
and under parts very faint. 

Nest, in evergreens, about six feet up. Eggs, white, speckled 
and blotched at the larger end with brown. 

In most of New England and New York the Black-poll 
Warbler is a very common migrant in the second half of 
May, and in September and early 
October. On the mountains of 
northern New York and New Eng- 
land it is a common summer resi- 
dent, occurring most commonly in 
the stunted spruces at the edge of 
the timber line. 

The song of the Black-poll is con- Fig. it;. Black-poll 
stantly heard from the migrants in 

May ; it is a high thin tsit tsit tsit tslt tsif, of a pene- 
trating quality, delivered with a crescendo and diminuendo ; 
the last notes are by some birds run rapidly together with 
almost a sputtering effect. The alarm-note is a strong c/iij). 




116 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

The call-note is a rather rough lisp ; it is constantly heard 
from the trees in autumn, and is the sound heard most fre- 
quently at night as the birds migrate southward. 

The male Black-poll Warbler may be told from the Black 
and White Warbler (see Fig. 25, p. 129) by li^jolain hlack 
ccqj, and by its very different manner of feeding. The 
former hops from one small twig to another, while the lat- 
ter climbs along the large limbs in the manner described 
on p. 129. The female is harder to identify ; one must look 
for the white Aving-bars and the dull streaking along the 
sides. In the fall the young Black-polls and the adults in 
winter plumage are very abundant and should be looked for 
and carefully studied. Their upper parts have a greenish 
tinge when seen in strong light ; they are yellowish helow 
and have white wing-bars. They have a way of twitching 
their tails, but it is a slight nervous action, different from 
the deliberate sweep of the Yellow Eed-poll. (See also 
next species.) 

Bay-breasted Warbler. Dendroica castanea 
5.63 

Ad. $. — Top of head chestnut, bordered in front and on the 
side with black ; back streaked with black ; throat, hreafst, and 
sides chestnut ; sides of neck and rest of under parts huffy ; wing- 
bars white. Ad. 9 • — Upper parts olive, streaked with black ; 
under parts huffy ; sides of breast tinged with reddish-brown. 
Im. $ . — Similar to ad. 9 ; flanks with a tinge of reddish-brown. 
Im. 9 • — Upper ]3arts olive-green, usually unstreaked ; flanks 
usually without tinge of reddish-brown ; under parts huffy. 

Nest, in coniferous trees, fifteen to twenty feet from the 
ground. Eggs, white, tinged with greenish, and finely speckled 
about the larger end with brown. 

The Bay-breasted Warbler, as a migrant, is not uncom- 
mon in the Hudson Valley and in western Massachusetts, 
but is generally very rare in eastern New England, where 
it occurs, as a rule, only when there is an unusually heavy 



CHESTNUT-SIDED WAEBLER 117 

migration of warblers. It passes north in the middle of 
May and returns in September. It breeds commonly on the 
high mountains of northern New England and in the exten- 
sive coniferous forests of nortliern and eastern Maine. The 
song of the Bay-breast suggests somewhat that of the Black 
and White Warbler, or the short form of the Kedstart's 
song. 

This is the only warbler that has a chestnut croiun, throat, 
breast, and sides ; the Yellow Redpoll has a chestnut crown 
and slight streaking of chestnut on its yellow under parts ; 
the Chestnut-side has a narrow stripe of chestnut along the 
sides, but a yellow crown and a white throat. In Septem- 
ber a few Bay-breasts pass through eastern Massachusetts, 
and a larger number through the Hudson Valley. They 
now resemble the immature Black-poll Warblers so closely 
that only a trained eye can distinguish them. The buffy 
tinge over the under parts, the buffy under tail-coverts, 
and occasionally the tinge of reddish-brown along the sides 
are their distinguishing marks. 

Chestnut-sided Warbler. Dendroica i:)ensylvanica 

5.14 

Ad. $ . — Top of head yellow ; back in strong light of a green- 
ish tinge, streaked with black ; wing-bars yellowish ; cheeks 
white ; sides of throat black ; a narrow stripe of chestnut-red 
along the sides of breast and belly. Ad. 9 • — Similar, but duller. 
Im. — Entire upper parts yellowish-green ; wing-bars yellowish ; 
under parts white. 

Nest, in a low, slight bush, often a bhiekberry or a raspberry. 
Eggs, white, speckled, chiefly about the larger end, with reddish- 
brown. 

The Chestnut-sided Warbler is a common summer resi- 
dent of New York and New England, but is less common 
in the lower Hudson Valley tlian fnrtlier north. It arrives 
early in May and stays till tlio end of September. It pre- 
fers dry roadside thickets or clearings, and though its song 




118 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

closely resembles that of the Yellow Warbler, the two spe- 
cies are so rarely found breeding in the same kind of coun- 
try that one wdll not often confuse 
their songs. The singer in the dry 
scrubby thickets is nearly always the 
Chestnut-side, while the bird of the 
streams and cultivated land is the 
Yellow Warbler. 

Each of these two warblers com- 
FiG. 17. Chestnut-sided monly has two quite distinct songs, 
Warbler qj^q strong and incisive, the other 

feebler and less piercing. The sharp incisive song of the 
Chestnut-side ends with a phrase which has suggested the 
rendering, Ve?^, very glad to meet you. The loose or feeble 
song has so little character that it is hard to learn. 

The yellow crown of this bird, and the white throat, 
breast, and belly make it easy to recognize, even if the 
narrow line of chestnut is not at first seen. The yellow- 
ish wing-bars of the young, and their greenish-yellow 
backs, and white, unstreaked under parts, distinguish them 
from other young warblers. 

Magnolia Wakblek ; Black and Yellow Warbler. 

Dendroica maculosa 
5.12 

Ad. ^ . — Head ashy ; cheeks and back black ; large patch of 
white on the wing ; all the tail-feathers tipped with black for some 
distance, all but the central ones white above the tips ; rump 
yellow ; under parts yellow ; breast and sides heavily streaked with 
black. Ad. 9- — Similar, but duller. Im. — Upper parts gray ; 
back greenish in strong light ; rump and under parts yellow ; 
tail as in adult. 

Nest, from three to six feet up, in coniferous trees. Eggs, 
white, marked with brown at the larger end. 

The Black and Yellow Warbler is a migrant through 
southern New York and New England, common in western 




MAGNOLIA WAEBLER 119 

New England and in the Hudson Valley, fairly common in 

eastern New England, It arrives about the tenth of May, 

passes north before the end 

of that month, and returns 

in September, and early 

October. On migration the 

Black and Yellow seems 

to prefer evergreens, but 

when abundant, it is found 

in all suitable places. It 

Fig. 18. Macrnolia Warbler 
IS a common summer resi- ^ 

dent in the Canadian Zone, from the edge of the spruce 

belt northward. It delights in the pasture spruces, the 

thick growth of healthy young trees, whose lower branches 

sweep the hillsides ; but it will live in almost any growth 

that contains spruce, even high up the mountain-sides. 

The song is as characteristic a sound of the smaller 
patches of spruce as that of the Yellow-rump is of the more 
extensive tracts. Generally it suggests the syllables iveely, 
weely, wichy, with a rising inflection at the close, but there 
are several variations, which can be learned only after long 
practice. The song generally has more character than that of 
the Yellow-rump. The alarm-note is a rather sharp cJii}) ; 
the bird has other short notes, one of which is a tlzic, 
resembling the song of the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, but 
thinner and drier (F. H. Allen). 

The Prairie, the Canada, and the Cape ^May are the 
other warblers whose yellow under parts are streaked with 
black. Neither the Prairie nor the Canada shows white on 
the wing : the Prairie has no ashy-gray or black on the up- 
per parts; the Canada has no white in tlie tail. A study, 
too, of Figs. 14 and 8 on pp. 110 and 100, -will show the 
difference in the pattern of black and yellow. The much 
rarer Cape May, wdiicli, like the Black and Yellow, has a 
yellow rump and white on the wing, may be distinguished 



120 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 



by the black crown. In all plumages the tail oi the Black 
and Yellow is a good field-mark ; even when closed it shows 
white halfway down, and extensive black tips. 

Myrtle Warbler ; Yellow-rumped Warbler. Den- 

droicco coronata 

5.65 

Ad. $. — Upper parts gray, with a bluish tinge in strong 
light ; rump and small crown-patch yellow ; wing bars white ; 
cheeks black ; throat white ; sides of upper breast black, of lower 
breast yellow ; belly white ; three outer tail-feathers with large 
white spots. Ad. 9- — Upper parts browner ; less black below. 
Ad. in winter and Im. — Yellow crown-patch partly hidden by 
brownish ; back brownish ; breast washed with brownish ; rump 
yellow ; outer tail-feathers spotted with white. 

Nest, in coniferous trees, five to ten feet up. Eggs, grayish 
white, spotted with brown. 

The Yellow-rumped Warbler is the only member of its 
family which winters in New York and ISTew England ; it 

is found in winter from 
Ipswich, Mass., southward 
along the sea-coast wher- 
ever bayberries are abun- 
dant. It has even been 
found at Pine Point, Scar- 
boro, Me., in January. 
Early in April the Yel- 
low-rump appears as a 
migrant, and early in May 
it becomes abundant. A 
few migrants occasionally reappear late in August, but the 
great host, now in their winter plumage, pass through late 
in September and through October. It breeds commonly 
in the extensive spruce forests of northern Xew York and 
Xew England ; sparingly in Worcester and Berkshire coun- 
ties, Mass., and here and there on the upland of southern 




Fig. 19. Myrtle Warbler 



BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER 121 

New Hampshire and Vermont, wherever there are patches 
of spruce ; in the southern part of its range it breeds occa- 
sionally in white pine groves. 

The song is difficult to learn ; it generally consists of two 
sets of phrases composed of the syllables ivee-see-see'-see, 
the second sometimes in a lower, sometimes in a higher key 
than the first, but neither of them at all sharp or decided. 
In spring it gleans insects from the twigs of trees, or 
flies out from the branches to catch the little winged crea- 
tures that swarm at this season ; its yellow rump is now 
often hard to see, but the bird may be recognized, if seen 
from below, by the large black patches on the breast and 
the yellow patches lower down. Note also its lohite throat ; 
it is the only white-throated warbler, except the Chestnut- 
side, that has any yellow in its plumage. In winter, when 
it adds bayberries to its insect fare, it feeds in low bushes ; 
when it flies up, the bright yelloiv rumi) and the spots of 
white on the outer tail-feathers make an unfailing field- 
mark. 

Black-theoated Blue Warbler. Dendroica cceru- 

lescens 

5.28 

Ad. $ . — Upper parts grayish-blue; a white patch in the loing ; 
throat, and sides of head, sides of breast, and belly black ; rest of 
breast and belly white. Ad. 9- — Upper parts brownish or gray- 
ish, tinged with green in strong light ; line over eye dull yel- 
lowish-white; white wing-patch smaller than hi male; under parts 
dingy yellowish. Im. ^. — Similar to ad. $, but upper parts 
tinged with olive-green, the black somewhat veiled with Avliite. 
Im. 9 • — Similar to ad. 9 • 

Nest, in a low bush or sapling, often in laurel, hemlock, or yew, 
two feet or less from the ground. Eggs, white, spotted with 
brown, chiefly at the larger end. 

The Black-throated Blue AVarbler is a common summer 
resident of northern New York and New England from 



122 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Berkshire Countjj Mass.^ northward, and a rather common 
migrant through southern ^ew England and the lower 

Fig. 20. Black-throated Blue Warbler Massachusetts or in the 

Hudson Valley. In 
summer it frequents, in the southern part of its range, cool 
woods of deciduous trees, — beech, maple, and birch, — 
where its drawling notes are as characteristic as those of 
the Black and Yellow Warbler in the spruces. 

The song varies somewhat in form and in length : a com- 
mon form consists of three rather pure notes with a down- 
ward inflection, followed by a fourth, hoarse note with rising 
inflection, ivhee-a tvhee-a tvhee-a luhee-ee ; another common 
form consists of one short introductory note and two up- 
ward hoarse notes, the whole given rapidly. The hoarse 
drawling character of the last notes will always serve to 
identify the song. The alarm-note is a rather heavy chuck. 

The male is unmistakable ; the female and young are 
rather puzzling birds, unless one can make out the small 
white spot on the wing, and the whitish line over the eye. 

Yellow Warbler; Summer Yellowbird. Dendroica 

cestiva 

5.10 

Ad. $ . — Entire bird yellow or yellowish; the crown in good 
light bright yellow; the upper parts greenish-yellow; wings and 
tail brownish; the breast streaked with reddish-brown. Ad. 9- — 
Like the $ , but crown not brighter than the back, breast not 
streaked with reddish-brown. 



YELLOW WAKBLER 



123 




Fig. 21. Yellow Warbler 



Nest, a neat gray cup in the fork of a bush or low tree. Eggs, 
bluish-white or greenish-white, spotted with brown, generally in a 
wreath around the larger end. 

The Yellow Warbler is a summer resident of New York 
and New England, arriving late in April or early in May, 
and leaving about the middle of 
August 5 a few migrants from 
the north are seen in Septem- 
ber. It is common in central 
and southern New England and 
in the lower Hudson Valley, and 
frequents orchards and gardens, 
even in large cities ; in the hilly 
country of western Massachu- 
setts and in northern New England it is much less common, 
and is generally confined to the valleys of the large streams 
and their tributaries. It is active, and a constant singer, 
uttering its bright song from the morning of its arrival to 
that of its departure. The song has two forms : one loud 
and incisive, like the syllables luee'-chee, chee, chee, chee'- 
wee, the other less sharp and strong. (See under Chestnut- 
sided Warbler, p. 118.) The alarm-note is a rather loud chip. 

There is hardly any bird with which the Yellow Warbler 
can be confused : none of the other warblers is so yellow- 
ish above, except the Blue-winged Warbler (see Fig. 23, 
p. 128) ; the Goldfinch has black and white wings and tail, 
and a black forehead. (See, also, p. 126, Nashville Warbler.) 



Cape May Warblek. Dendroica tlgrlna 

5.00 

-4c?. $. — Crown blackish; patch hack of eye orange-hrown or 
chestnut ; back streaked with black; white patch on the wing; 
rump yellow; under parts yellow, streaked with black. Ad. 9- — 
Upper parts gray ; rump yellowish ; under parts white, tinged 
with yellowish and streaked with dusky brown; white wing-bar 
very narrow. 



124 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

The Cape IMay Warbler is a very rare migrant through 
New York and New England, generally occurring only when 
the other migrating warblers are unusually abundant. It 
should be looked for in the height of the spring migration, 
about the middle of May, and again late in August and 
September. It is probably less rare in western New Eng- 
land, and is reported as tolerably common in the fall at 
Sing Sing (Chapman). From 1871 to 1875 it bred '^really 
abundantly in the coniferous forests about Lake Umbagog 
in western Maine " (Brewster), but is now rarely found 
breeding even in northern New England. 

The song resembles the Black-polFs quite closely; it 
has been described as peculiarly " faint and listless, '^ '' a 
monotonous zee-zee-zeerzee,''^ '' sometimes with three zees^ 
sometimes with four, but always in an unhurried mono- 
tone " (Torrey). 

A male in spring plumage could be confused only with 
the Black and Yellow Warbler, from which its black croiun 
and orange-hroiun ear-coverts should distinguish it. 

Northern Parula Warbler. Compsothlypis ameri- 
canci usnece 

4.73 

Ad. $. — Upper parts and sides of head grayish-blue, with a 
patch of greenish-yellow in the middle of the back ; wing-bars 
white ; throat and breast yellow, washed across the upper breast 
with chocolate-brown; belly white. Ad. 9- — Upper parts as in 
male ; breast without the brown band. 

Nest, of usnea, generally in a pendent bunch of the same moss. 
Eggs, white, speckled with reddish-brown about the larger end. 

The Parula Warbler breeds in swamps or deep moist 
woods, wherever the trees are hung with the long gray usnea 
moss. It is, therefore, found in summer in the white cedar 
swamps of Cape Cod, southern Phode Island, and Connec- 
ticut, and throughout the damp forests of Berkshire County, 



TENNESSEE WARBLER 125 

Mass., and northern New York and New England. In the 
vicinity of New York city, however, and throughout most 
of southern New England, including the neighborhood of 
Boston, it occurs chiefly as a migrant. It is often very com- 
mon throughout May, and again in late September and early 
October. It may then be seen wherever migrating warblers 
are found, — in the village streets, about houses, and along 
the edges of streams or swamps. It generally keeps well 
up in the tops of trees, where it often clings like a Chicka- 
dee to the ends of small twigs. 

Like many of our other warblers the Parula has two 
songs : one is easy to learn, a series of zee-like notes, which 
rise quickly and end in a little zip, as if one were winding 
up a little watch ; the other, though of a less distinctive 
form, has the same hoarse quality. 

This is our smallest warbler, and should be confused with 
no other bird, if one can get a view of the bluish head, the 
yellow throat, and ivhite iving-bars. 



Tennessee Warbler. Helminthophila peregrina 

5.00 
Ad. $. — Top of head ash-gray; rest of upper parts olive- 
green; under parts white. Ad. 9- — Similar, but top of head 
tinged with greenish; under parts washed with yellowish. 

The Tennessee Warbler is a migrant through New York 
and New England, in May and September ; it is usually 
very rare, though sometimes common in the autumn in the 
lower Hudson Valley. On migration it frequents apple or- 
chards and tall woodland trees, but in northern New Eng- 
land, where it breeds sparingly, it frequents larch swamps 
and occasionally spruce growth. On account of its lack of 
bright colors it is the least likely of the rare warblers to 
come under the notice of any but an expert held ornithoh-*- 
gist. Its song is a series of sharp sifs, like a lUack-polTs, 



126 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

but with a decided change to a higher pitch in the middle 
and a fall at the close. But for the sharp slender bill and the 
smaller size the bird might pass for a Eed-eyed Vireo, until 
its song betrayed it. 

Nashville Warbler. Helminthophila ruhricapilla 

4:.n 

Ad. — Top of head ashy, with a chestnut crown-patch some- 
what hidden; rest of upper parts brown, tinged with greenish in 
strong light; under parts bright yellow • ring around eye white or 
yellowish-white. Im. — Similar, but head like back; under parts 
not so bright. 

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, white, speckled with reddish-brown, 
chiefly at the larger end. 

The Nashville Warbler is a common summer resident of 
portions of New York and New England. It is rare or 
absent in the neighborhood of New York city, except as 
a migrant, but breeds from Highland Falls northward. In 
Connecticut it is generally distributed, but is not common in 
the southern part of the State. In the upland of central and 
northern New England it is common. It arrives early in 
May, and leaves in September. It frequents land which is 
partially overgrown with small trees and bushes, and as it is 
one of the most active of an active family, it often leads a stu- 
dent a very long chase before he gets a glimpse of its ashy head 
and yellow under parts. Its song, however, is very charac- 
teristic. It begins like a Black and White Warbler's, or 
a Redstart's, and ends with two or three quick phrases that 
run down the scale, wee-tse luee-tse luee-tse, chiddle chiddle 
chiddle. Occasionally the ending is omitted, leaving a puz- 
zling beginning which is hard to tell from a Redstart's song. 

The chestnut crown-patch of the Nashville is often diffi- 
cult to make out, but no other warbler has bright yelloiu 
unstreaked under parts and an ashy head. The white eye- 
ring, too, is diagnostic, if one can get a view of it. The 



GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER 127 

Connecticut Warbler, which occurs only in the fall, also has 
a whitish eye-ring, but its throat is not yellow. 

Golden- WINGED Warbler. Helminthophila chrysopte^'a 

5.10 

Ad. $ . — Crown yellow; upper parts ashy-gray; wings and tail 
bluish-gray; patch on wing yellow; throat and stripe through eye 
black, separated by a white stripe. Ad. 9« — Black of male re- 
placed by gray. 

Nest, on ground. Eggs, white, speckled with brown, chiefly 
about the larger end. 

The Golden-winged Warbler is a rather rare and local 
summer resident of southern New England and eastern 
New York. No other 
New England bird has 
such a restricted range. 
It is rare in the Hudson 
Valley, has been found 
in New Hampshire only 
in the Lower Merrimac 
Valley, and not at k\l in 
the interior of Massa- ^^^•22- Golden-winged Warbler 

chusetts, unless in the Connecticut Valley near Springfield. 
It is not rare in eastern Massachusetts, but is uncommon 
in Ehode Island and southern Connecticut. It arrives in 
May, and leaves in August. It frequents dry woodland, 
particularly near open bush-grown pastures. Its song, though 
like that of the Black-throated Green Warbler in its wheezy 
quality, differs decidedly in form (see pp. 113, 114). 

Blue-winged Warbler. Heliiiintliophlla puius 

4.80 

Ad. $. — Crown bright yellow; back and rump bright olive- 
green in strong light; a narroio hlack Hue through the ei/e ; wings 
and tail bluish-gray; wing-bars white or yellowish- white; outer 





128 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEAV YORK 

tail-feathers showing white when spread; under parts bright yel- 
low. Ad. 9. — Similar, but yellow of head restricted to the 
forehead; under parts duller. 

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, white, thinly speckled with reddish- 
brown. 

The Blue-Winged Warbler does not occur north of 
southern Connecticut and the Lower Hudson Valley, but 

in most of this region it is 
fairly common. It arrives early 
in May and leaves early in 
September. It is found in dry 
bushy fields, on the edges of 
woodland, and sometimes even 

in swampy growth. It is not 
Fig. 23. Blue-winffed Warbler . . p ,^ 

so active as many 01 the war- 
blers, and gleans its food leisurely among the branches of 
trees. Its song is characteristic ; the syllables zivee-churr, 
both notes drawled, represent the ordinary song. It occa- 
sionally utters a longer, more complicated series of notes. 
From the Yellow Warbler it may readily be distinguished 
by its gray wings and by the black line from the hill 
through the eye. 

Worm-eating AYarbler. Helmitheros vermivorus 
5.51 

Ad. — Head with four black lines, two through the eyes, and 
two on the top of the head, separated by huffy lines; back olive 
green in strong light; throat buffy; breast and belly whitish. 

Nest, on ground, always with the heads of a common moss, Poly- 
trichum, in the lining. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-brown. 

The Worm-eating Warbler is a regular, but not very com- 
mon, summer resident of the lower Hudson Yalley, is locally 
common in northern New Jersey, and occurs locally in 
southern Connecticut, It arrives in May and leaves in 
August. It is a bird either of dry wooded banks, or of 



BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER 



129 



swampy thickets, where it feeds either on the ground or in 
the treesj gleaning among the twigs, or flying up to a bunch 
of dried leaves to pick oft' an insect. 
Its song is almost exactly like that 
of a Chipping Sparrow ; in fact, if 
one hears in dry woodland in the 
region above defined what seems 
to be a Chipping Sparrow singing 
perhaps a bit faster than the aver- 
age, the song should be followed to its source, and the singer 
scrutinized. The clearly defined contrasting colors of its head 
give it a trim appearance, and make it easy to identify. 




Fig. 24. Worm-eating 
Warbler 



Black and White Warbler. Mniotilta varia 
5.30 

Ad. $ . — Streaked everywhere, except on the throat and belly, 
with black and white ; a broad streak of white through the middle 
of the black crown. Ad. 9 • — Upper parts streaked with brownish- 
black and white ; under parts white, with obscure streakings on 
the sides ; bill slender, sHghtly curved. 

Nest, on the ground; generally in a depression. Eggs, white 
with brown spots on the larger end. 



The Black and White Warbler, or Black and 
Creeper, as it was formerly called, is a common summ 
dent of most of New York and New 
England, becoming less common in 
the northern portion of the region and 
infrequent in the deep northern for- 
ests. It arrives in the latter part of 
April, and leaves in September. It is 
found in woodland, particularly where 
trees and bushes grow near open spaces. 
Here tlie bird may be seen following each large Km 
extremity, peering now over one side, now over the 
searching for the insects even on the under side. 



White 
er resi- 




d Whito 



b to its 
other, 



130 BIRDS OF NEW ENCxLAND AND EASTEEN NEW YORK 

When singing, the male sits on a twig, his long bill open, 
uttering again and again the thin, wiry notes which consti- 
tute his song, wee-see', loee-see', luee-see', ivee-see'. In the 
height of the breeding season there is often an intermediate 
portion of the song in a lower key. Both birds utter a chat- 
tering note when excited, but I have never heard the great 
variety of notes which has been attributed to this species. 
After a period of silence in early August, the song may oc- 
casionally be heard again. 

The Black and White Warbler may possibly be confused 
with the Black-poll Warbler in spring,' or with the Downy 
Woodpecker. From the former, its manner of feeding and 
the broad white stripe through its crown should distinguish 
it (see Fig. 16, p. 115) ; from the latter it may be distin- 
guished by its smaller size, slender bill, and by the absence 
of a broad white stripe down the back (see Fig. 16, p. 115). 
In strong light the contrast of the lustrous black and the 
white gives the male almost a bluish look. 



VIREOS : FAMILY VIREONIDiE 

Four Vireos occur in summer in nearly all southern New 
York and New England, and another species passes through 
as a migrant. In northern New York and New England, 
especially in the upland, only two are common. The Red- 
eyed Yireo is universally distributed ; it occurs wherever 
there are trees. The White-eyed Yireo breeds commonly 
in low thickets as far north as southern Ehode Island and 
Connecticut, and rarely in eastern Massachusetts. The 
Yellow-throatpd and AYarbling Yireos are birds of the 
shade trees in village streets, or tall trees in groves or along 
streams. The Solitary Yireo occurs in summer in the cool 
northern woods, and as a migrant in the rest of New York 
and New England, The Yireos feed in trees, hopping and 
flying from one twig to another, keeping in fairly constant 



WHITE-EYED VIREO 131 

motion, but in a leisurely fashion. They are stouter than 
warblers and their tails are shorter in proportion to their 
length. They are unwearying singers, the Eed-eye alone 
furnishing a large proportion of the woodland chorus. All 
the Vireos come down to the ground on occasions, for in- 
stance to pick up nesting material, but as a rule only the 
White-eye comes habitually below a line ten feet above the 
ground ; the Red-eye and Solitary vary from ten to thirty ; 
the Yellow-throat between twenty and thirty ; the Warbling 
between thirty and sixty. All but the Yellow-throat are 
chiefly gray in color. All the Yireos build neat, cup-shaped 
nests, hung generally from a forked twig. 

White-eyed Yireo. Vireo novehoracensis 
5.27 

Ad. — Upper parts greenish-yellow in strong light ; throat gray- 
ish-white ; line from hill to and around eye yellow ; sides and belly 
very yellow ; wing-bars yellowish ; iris white, visible at a greater 
distance than the red iris of the Red-eyed Yireo. 

Nest, a cup hung from a fork in a low horizontal bough, some- 
times from a vine. Eggs, like the Red-eye's. 

The White-eyed Yireo is a common summer resident in 
southern Connecticut and in the vicinity of New York 
city, but is rather local in Massachusetts, and absent north 
of that State. It arrives early in May, and stays through 
September. It frequents tangled thickets, particularly in 
lowlands. It seems to be a more excitable bird than the 
other Yireos, and begins to scold and sing whenever its 
thicket is approached. It greets a visitor with a startlingly 
energetic song, containing the notes chlp-wlu'e-oo. Besides 
this phrase the White-eye has a great variety of notes, 
many of them imitative of other birds ; I have heard it 
give the chip'-chiwr of the Tanager and tlie ilicl-'-j/ou of 
the Chewink. Its scolding-note is a mew, suggesting that 
of the Catbird. 



132 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

The White-eyed and Solitary Yireos both have a strong 
yellow tinge on the sides of the belly, but in the former 
the line to and around the eye is yellow, while in the lat- 
ter it is white. The White-eye is small and is rare north of 
Connecticut ; the Solitary is larger and breeds in northern 
New England, passing through southern New England and 
the Hudson Valley before the White-eye arrives. 

Blue-headed Vireo ; Solitary Yireo. Vireo solitarius 

5.61 

Ad. — Top and sides of head dark slate-gray ; line from hill to 
and around eye white ; back gray, with a greenish- yellow tinge in 
strong light ; wing-bars white; throat and breast white; sides of 
breast dark gray ; sides of belly greenish-yellow. 

Nest, a cup, hung from a fork in a horizontal branch. Eggs^ 
white, sparsely spotted with brown at the larger end. 

The Solitary Yireo is confined in summer to the Canadian 
and the sub-Canadian areas, but is a common migrant 
through the rest of New York and 
New England, passing north in 
the latter part of April and early 
in May, and returning late in Sep- 
tember and early in October. As 
a migrant it frequents almost any 
Fig. 26. Solitary Vireo piece of woodland, often coming 
into orchards and about houses. 
It breeds in deep, cool woods, either evergreen or deciduous, 
preferring possibly the former. It is much less common 
than the Eed-eye, and its voice is louder and richer, so that 
as one passes along a woodland road, the Solitary Yireos 
inhabiting the region are easily noted, and are found to be 
separated by far greater intervals than the Red-eyes. The 
song resembles that of the Eed-eye in form, but it has a 
sweeter, more appealing tone. Certain passages are charac- 
teristic ; one is a "double note," that is a phrase repeated 




YELLOW-THROATED VIREO 133 

quickly in a lower key ; another resembles the syllables 
to-wee'-choo, the singer sliding from a high to a low note. 
Sometimes the singer has a fit of ecstasy in which he runs 
his phrases, ordinarily separated by considerable intervals, 
rapidly together, and follows them by sweet twittering. 
The song is not infrequently heard in the autumn, when 
the bird is migrating south. The alarm-note is an unmusical 
chatter, similar to that of the Yellow-throated Yireo. 

The white ring around the eye of the Solitary Yireo and 
the white line from the eye to the hill are excellent field- 
marks. 

Yellow-throated Yireo. Vireo flavifrons 
5.95 

Ad. — Head and upper back greenish-yellow in strong light; 
rest of back gray; wing-bars white; throat and breast bright yellow. 

Nest, a cup hung from a twig, from ten to twenty-five feet above 
the ground. Eggs, white, spotted with brown at the larger end. 

The Yellow-throated Yireo is a summer resident in cen- 
tral and southern New York and New England ; it is rare 
north of Massachusetts. It arrives in early May, and stays 
till the middle of September. Like the Warbling Yireo it 
prefers the shade trees in the village streets and about houses, 
and the tall trees along streams; in the northern part of its 
range it is found only along the alluvial flood plains of large 
rivers. After an interval of silence in August, it siiigs again 
in September, especially early in the morning, and continues 
to do so till its departure. 

The song in form resembles those of the Red-eye and 
the Solitary, and difiers from that of the Warbling Yireo. 
It is made up of separate phrases, one witli a rising, the 
next with a falling inflection. The notes are louder and 
richer than those of the Ived-eye, but generally harsher and 
more querulous tlian those of the Solitary. I'he ]ih rases are 
separated by considerable intervals, giving the song a more 



134 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

leisurely character than that of the Red-eye. The male has 
a harsh chattering note with which he scolds intruders. 

The bright yelloiv throat should distinguish this bird 
from other vireos. It resembles the Pine Warbler very 
closely in coloration, and during migration the two might 
occur in the same places. Ordinarily, however, the Vireo 
would rarely, if ever, be found in evergreens, and the Pine 
Warbler rarely away from them. The songs of the two 
species are very different, and on close inspection the Vireo 
is seen to be heavier, with a stout bill, while the Pine 
Warbler has a more slender bill. 

Warblixg Vireo. Vireo gilvus 
5.80 

Ad. — Upper parts brownish-gray; under parts grayish- white, 
with a slight yellowish tinge on the belly; a whitish streak over 
eye, but no dark line through it. 

Nest, a cup hung from a fork, from, twenty to forty feet up. 
Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-brown at the larger end. 

The Warbling Vireo is a rather common summer resi- 
dent of southern and central jSTew England and of the 
lower Hudson Valley. In northern 
New York and New England it is 
confined to the neighborhood of vil- 
lages in the valleys. In most of 
New England, in fact, it is a bird 

TT- , T -VT- of the village street rather than of 

Fig. 27, Warblmg Vireo ° 

the woodland, though it is also 

found in tall trees along streams. It arrives a little earlier 
in May than the Eed-eyed Vireo, and leaves in September. 
The Warbling Vireo is less frequently seen than the Red- 
eye, as it often stays for hours in tall shade-trees, but its 
song is uttered constantly, and affords an easy means of dis- 
tinguishing it from its relative. It is a true warble, that 
is, a succession of smooth notes run into one another, and 




PHILADELPHIA VIREO 135 

though repeated in the height of the breeding season more 
than four thousand times a day, never varies perceptibly. 
The song of the Eed-eye is made up of short phrases of 
almost endless variety. Beginners often have great diffi- 
culty in distinguishing the song of the Warbling Vireo from 
that of the Purple Finch. The song of the Finch is ex- 
tremely rapid and energetic ; the Vireo' s is deliberate and 
languid compared with the burst of melody that the Finch 
utters. The Warbling Vireo, after a period of silence in 
August, sings again in September, but only for a short time, 
early each morning. Both sexes have a querulous call-note, 
which suggests the mew of the Catbird. 

If seen at close range, the Warbling Vireo may be dis- 
tinguished from the Eed-eye by the dilferent appearance of 
the side of the head ; there is no dark streak through the 
eye, nor is the light line over the eye bordered above by a 
black line. From the following species it may be distin- 
guished by the absence of a yellowish tinge on the throat 
and breast. 

Philadelphia Vireo. Vireo jphiladelphicus 
4.75 

Ad. — Upper parts grayish, tinged with green in strong light; 
top of head clear gray; cheek gray; a whitish line over eye; under 
parts distinctly but not strongly tinged with yellow. 

Nest and eggs, like those of the Red-eyed Vireo, but slightly. 
smaller. 

The Philadelphia Vireo breeds from northern New Eng- 
land northward, and in most of New York and New Eng- 
land occurs only as a very rare migrant, generally in Sep- 
tember or early October. In northeastern INIaine, in the 
vicinity of Lake Umbagog, and at Dixville Notch, N. H., it 
is not uncommon. Here it frequents the thin growth of 
poplar and bird -cherry in clearings and along roadsides 
rather than the deeper woods. A male sang constantly in 



136 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

June, 1903, in a group of birches almost under the eastern 
windows of The Balsams, at Dixville Notch. 

The song is at times identical with that of the Red-eye, 
though generally a little more languid. One phrase sug- 
gests, in form, but not at all in power and sweetness, the 
double note of the Solitary Vireo. The scolding-note is a 
harsh twee-tiuee-tiuee, which closely resembles that of the 
Warbling Vireo. 

A good look at the bird should leave no doubt of its 
identity ; the side of the head resembles the Warbling 
Vireo instead of the Red-eye, but the entire under parts, 
particularly the breast, are distinctly tinged ivith yellow. 
(See Brewster, '' Auk," 1903, p. 369, and Dwight, " Auk,'' 
1897, p. 259.) 

Bed-eyed Vireo. Vireo olivaceus 
6.23 

-4^. — Upper parts brownish, with a greenish tinge in strong 
light; crown gray, bordered on each side by a blackish line; line 
over the eye white; dusky stripe through eye; under parts white, 
with no tinge of yellow. 

Nest, a cup hung from a fork, from five to twenty-five feet up. 
Eggs, white, spotted with brown, chiefly at the larger end. 

The Bed-eyed Vireo is a very common summer resident 
throughout New York and New England, arriving in May, 
and sometimes staying into October. 
It lives in deciduous trees, and may 
be found wherever they occur, — in 
the woods, orchards, plantations, vil- 



f ^""^^^^ lage or city streets. It is a constant 

singer, so constant, in fact, that its 
Fig. 28. Red-eyed Vireo ^^^^ -^ ^,^^^ generally overlooked. 

It is only when one's ears are opened that we realize how 
large a proportion of the daily chorus of bird-song is fur- 
nished by the Bed-eye. The bird itself spends so much of 




KED-EYED VIEEO 137 

his time among the leaves that unless one knows his song 
and follows it to its source one sees little of the singer. 
A male often sings for a long time on one twig, merely 
turning his head from side to side. 

The song is made up of separate phrases of from two to 
four syllables, with either a rising or a falling inflection, as 
if the bird were carrying on a conversation. The phrases are 
separated by very short intervals, and vary greatly. Certain 
forms fecur, but in no fixed order. Beginners have much 
difficulty in distinguishing the song of the E,ed-eye from 
that of the Eobin. This latter is a true song, an outburst of 
melody in which the same phrases are repeated in a definite 
sequence and after a certain interval. There is more power, 
too, in the voice. The E,ed-eye's phrases are each separated 
by a slight interval, so that it is impossible to say when the 
song is over ; it goes on practically all day. The songs of 
the Yellow- throated and the Solitary Vireo resemble that 
of the Ked-eye in form, but each possesses more power, and 
the latter greater sweetness. 

To distinguish a Ked-eye when not in song from the 
warblers which frequent the tree-tops, it is necessary to get 
a view of the pure white under parts, and to note the 
heavier proportions, and the more leisurely behavior. From 
the Warbling Yireo it may be distinguished either by the 
markings on the side of the head (see Fig. 27), or by the 
song (see p. 135). The red eye is visible only at very short 
range, when the female, for instance, is sitting in the nest 
and allows a very near approach. 

SHRIKES : FAMILY LANIIDiE 

Loggerhead Shrike. Lcmius Ii(doricia)n(s 
9.00 
Ad. — Top of head and back ash-gray; black linos oxtonding 
from sides of throat through the eyes and meeting over the bill; 




138 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

wings and tail black and white; under parts grayish-white. Im. 
in summer. — Top of head and back brownish-gray; breast washed 
with brownish; black lines hardly extending beyond the eye, and 
not meeting over the bill. 

Nest, in a thick bush or tree, often a hawthorn bush. Eggs, 
whitish, thickly marked with brown. 

The Loggerhead Shrike is a not uncommon summer resi- 
dent of the Lake Champlain Valley. It breeds rarely in the 

rest of northern New England, 
and is a very rare migrant in 
southern New England and 
the Hudson Valley. Its habit 
of perching on the tips of trees 
or bushes, and its contrasting 

colors, gray, black, and white, 
Fig. 29. Loercrerhead Shrike i -j. j. ^ j 

^^ make it easy to observe and 

recognize. It feeds on grasshoppers, frogs, and mice, and, to 

a certain extent, on small birds, and impales its prey on 

thorns. Its song is described as low and musical, and its 

call-notes as harsh and unmusical. The ordinary shrike in 

New England between October and April is the Northern 

Shrike. The Loggerhead is over an inch smaller than its 

relative, and the black "inarks in front of the eyes meet 

across the forehead. 

NoRTHEKN Shrike. Lanius horealis 
10.32 
-4c?. — Upper parts ash-gray, becoming whitish on the forehead, 
over the eye, and on the rump; a blackish stripe back of the eye, 
extending to the base of the bill, hut not over it; wings and tail 
black and white; under parts grayish- white, crossed with dark 
wavy lines which show only at close range. Im. — Upper parts 
grayish-brown; wings and tail duller; under parts much more 
distinctly covered with wavy lines of dark gray. 

The Northern Shrike is a winter visitant in New York 
and New England ; rare in some years, not uncommon in 



NORTHERN SHRIKE 



139 




smi^-^^ 



Fig. 30. Northern Shrike 



others. It arrives in October, and leaves towards the end 
of March. Each Shrike, on its arrival from the north, 
apparently settles for the 
winter in a fixed region, 
which becomes its regular 
hunting-ground. Here one 
finds, during the winter, 
mice, small birds, and grass- 
hoppers wedged in the forks 
of low trees or bushes, or im- 
paled on thorny twigs, and 
occasionally a Shrike is seen dashing at a flock of frightened 
birds, and pursuing its victim till it is exhausted and caught. 
At other times it perches on the top of some tree or bush. 

The Shrike sings occasionally all through the winter, but 
more often in February and March. The song is a medley 
of harsh calls, mews, and screams, never very loud, inter- 
spersed with some rather sweet notes ; it suggests the song 
of the Catbird. Its call-notes are extremely harsh and grating. 

A Shrike in adult plumage is unmistakable. Young bir-ds 
lack the bright black and white of the adults, but they may 
be recognized by their rather plump look, habit of tilting the 
tail on alighting, and by the characteristic flight, two or 
three rapid wing strokes, followed by a scaling flight on set 
wings. A close inspection will show the heavy bill with 
its hooked tip. (See Mockingbird, p. 96, and Loggerhead 
Shrike, p. 138.) 



FAMILY AMPELID^ 

A)/ij)eIis ccdronnfi 



WAXWINGS, ETC. 

Cedar Waxwing; Cedar-bikd. 

7.19 

Ad. $ . — Head and throat rich snuff-color, fading into grayish- 
brown on the back and breast; under parts yellowish; wings and 
tail ash-gray; tail tipped luith yellow ; shorter wing-feathers often 



140 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

tipped with red; line from bill tbrough eye black; long crest- 
feathers often conspicuously elevated. 

Nest, of grass, stalks of weeds, etc., on the limb of a tree, from 
ten to thirty feet up. Eggs, gray or bluish, spotted with black or 
dark brown. 

A few Cedar-birds are occasionally seen in southern New 
England and the lower Hudson Valley in early winter, and 
in mid-winter great flocks appear, especially near the coast, 
and feed on the berries of the red cedar. In April these 
birds often disappear, and the breeding birds do not arrive 
till May. These come in small flocks, and do not pair till 
June, and often do not build till July. They now frequent 
almost every kind of country w^here both trees and open 
spaces occur, nesting in orchards, neglected pastures, and 
open spaces in woodland throughout New England and 
New York. In the upland region of middle New England 
they are among the most abundant birds. In late summer 
they gather about water, and spend much time flying out or 
up after insects. They are very fond of small fruits, and in 
September gather in flocks, often with Robins, in the rum- 
cherry trees. By November they have almost all disap- 
peared. The young in early fall have none of the rich brown 
of the parents, being of a much grayer shade, with streaked 
breasts. Cedar-birds often fly in compact flocks, which wheel 
on set wings before alighting. Their only note throughout 
the year is a wheezy lisp. 



SWALLOWS : FAMILY HIRUNDINID^ai 

Five species of Swallow (the Chimney Swallow, so called, 
is really a Swift ; see p. 210) occur throughout New York 
and New England. The Barn Swallow is by far the com- 
monest, and is found wherever old-fashioned barns exist; 
though a meadow-haunting bird in inland regions, it is a 
constant visitor along the sea-beaches, and over bays and 



ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW 



141 



harbors. The Bank Swallow occurs over lakes and streams 
near steep banks of sand. The other three — the White- 
bellied Swallow, the Eave Swallow, and the Purple Mar- 
tin — are more or less local, and may be wholly absent from 
any given locality. Where the Eave Swallow occurs at all, 
it is generally found in large colonies. The White-bellied 
Swallow is common in the Maine wilderness, nesting in dead 
trees, and is an abundant migrant along the salt marshes and 
where bayberries abound, hovering over the marshes by day, 
and gathering at night in enormous flocks. 



EouGH-wiNGED SwALLOW. Stelgidoptevyx serripennis 
5.75 

Ad. — Upper parts dark brown ; throat and breast brownish- 
gray ; belly white. Im. — Similar to adijt, but wings tinged with 
cinnamon. 

Nest, in holes in sand banks, or in a crevice of masonry or a 
ledge of rock. 

The Kough-winged Swallow is a summer resident of the 
lower Hudson Valley, locally common at Riverdale, Hast- 
ings, and Sing Sing ; it occurs 
here and there in northern New 
Jersey, and in southwestern 
Connecticut as far north as Hart- 
ford. From the rest of New 
England it is apparently absent, 
though a pair has bred for many 
years in a limestone quarry at 
North Adams, Mass. It arrives 
in April and leaves in August. 

The Rouo;li-wino;ed Swallow 
often breeds in banks with Bank Swallows, and can tlien 
hardly be distinguished from the Bank Swallow except by 
a trained observer ; the upper parts are very similar, but 
the throat of the Ivough-wing is darker, and the middle of 




Fig. 31. Rouph-wingcd 
Swallow 



142 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTEEN NEW YORK 



the breast lighter than in the Bank Swallow, so that there is 
no appearance of a dark band across the breast. The choice 
of a nesting-site is often a clue to the bird's identity ; if 
one sees in the region above defined what is apparently a 
Bank Swallow entering a crevice in masonry or in a natural 
ledge of rock, or a hole in a building, one may be pretty 
confident that it is a Bough-winged Swallow. 

Bank Swallow. Ri2Jaria riparia 
5.20 
Ad. — Upper parts grayish-brown; under parts white; a 
brownish hand across the breast ; tail slightly forked. 
Nest, in a hole in a sandy bank. Eggs, white. 

The Bank Swallow is a summer resident throughout 
New York and New England, arriving late in April, and 
leaving early in September. Over 
the surface of the large New Eng- 
land rivers, from the Housatonic to 
the Penobscot, and up the valleys 
of their tributaries, far into the 
mountains, little bands of these 
small brown swallows hunt back 
and forth throughout the summer. 
Banks of clay or sand, cut through 
by the river, are breeding-sites for 
colonies of them ; occasionally they take possession of a 
deserted gravel-pit. Here the little toes scratch out holes 
which run two or three feet into the bank ; often there are 
many holes close to each other, and perhaps a Kingfisher's 
hole, twice as large as the swallow's, among them. 

The small size of the Bank Swallow, the absence of any 
blue or greenish lustre, and its harsh, gritty note easily dis- 
tinguish it from all other adult Sw^allows, except in south- 
western Connecticut and the lower Hudson Valley. Here 
the Rough-winged Swallow must be taken into considera- 




FiG. 32. Bank Swallow 



TREE SWALLOW 143 

tion (see p. 141). Young White-bellied Swallows have 
brown upper parts, and in their first plumage a wash of 
brown on the sides of the breast, but no decided band 
entirely across the breast, as in the Bank Swallow. 

Tree Swallow; White-bellied Swallow. Iridoprocne 

bicolor 

5.90 

Ad. $. — Upper parts greenish-blue, especially bright in 
strong light ; under parts pure white ; tail notched, but not deeply. 
Ad. 9 . — Upper parts usually duller. Im. — Upper parts brown ; 
a faint incomplete dusky collar across the breast. 

Nest, in a hole in a tree, or in a box. Eggs, white. 

The White-bellied Swallow is a summer resident through- 
out New England and the Hudson Valley, but it is only 
locally common. Many of the 
boxes formerly tenanted by Swal- 
lows are now occupied by English 
Sparrows. In pure farming coun- 
try, as along the Concord River, 
the White-bellied Swallow is still 
a characteristic feature of the farm. 
In wilder country, in northern 
New England, and occasionally 
throughout its range, it nests in ^^^- ^^' ^^ee Swallow 

deserted woodpecker holes in trees. About the first of 
April the earliest arrivals appear along the sea-shore, or 
over some lake or river, and in a week or two their 
shrill notes are heard about the farmhouses where they 
breed. As early as July migrants begin to return from the 
north, and multitudes now collect over the marshes and 
along tlie beaches at the sea-shore, fringing the telegraph 
wires for rods, ho veering in clouds over the bay berry 
bushes, the fruit of whieii they eat, or sunning Ihonisolves 
on the sand, A few stay into October, 




144 BIRDS OF XEAV EXGLAXD AXD EASTEEX XEW YOEK 

The notes of the Tree Swallo^v are generally sharp and 
high, bnt occasionally sweet and twittering. Xear a breed- 
ing-site the male may be heard singing before dawn, either 
from the box, or as he flies to and fro in the darkness. 

The pure white under parts distinguish this swallow 
from both the Barn and Eave Swallows, each of which has 
a reddish-brown chin. The Bank or Sand Swallow has a 
brownish band across the upper breast. Young AYhite- 
bellied Swallows not only lack the steel-blue of the adult, 
but have a faint brownish collar nearly across the breast ; 
they must therefore be carefully distinguished from the 
Bank Swallow, which has a broad dark band completely 
across the breast. The flight of all four swallows may be 
distinguished after- much practice. The White-bellied often 
hangs in the wind with outspread wings and tail, and back 
curved like a dolphin. 

Bakx Sw^allow. Hirundo erythrogastra 
6.95 

Ad. — Entire upper parts, except the forehead, deep purplish- 
blue ; forehead^ upper breast, and throat chestnut ; sides of throat 
and upper breast bluish ; lower breast and belly varying from sal- 
mon to whitish ; outer tail-feathers long and narrow ; tail, when 
spread, much spotted with white. Im. — Outer tail-feathers shorter 
than in adult. 

Nest, made chiefly of mud mixed with straw and lined with 
feathers, placed commonly against a rafter of an open barn. Eggs, 
white, speckled with brown and lavender. 

The Barn Swallow is a very common summer resident of 
all Xew York and Xew England, wher- 
ever there is any grass-land. It arrives 
towards the end of April, and leaves 
early in September. It builds a nest of 
straw and mud on a rafter of a barn or 
Fig. 34. Tail of Barn ^^^ed. or occasionally on some projection 
Swallow outside, but not fastened by the side 




CLIFF SWALLOW 145 

under the eaves. In late June the old birds are very busy, 
hawking for insects over the tall grass in the meadows, and 
flying in and out through the open door, or through a 
broken pane. In July the young appear, sitting on the 
shingles on the slope of the roof, or later on the dead 
branches of neighboring trees, or on the fences. Here they 
are still fed by the parents. A little later, they too are 
constantly on the wing and are fed in the air, the old bird 
and the young one mounting upward together, their breasts 
almost touching. The young at this season lack the long 
outer tail-feathers. 

The Barn Swallow's notes are pleasing and often musical. 
In the barn, or when flying in friendly companies, they 
utter a gentle twitter. When they become excited, this 
changes to a more emphatic kit-tic. The male often sings 
a song of some length, which ends with a very curious rub- 
bery note. The song is uttered either high in air or from 
the barn ridge-pole. > 

When a Barn Swallow perches, the long outer tail- 
feathers show like two long needle-points projecting beyond 
the wings. These long feathers and the white in the tail 
distinguish the Barn Swallow from all the other swaljows. 

Cliff Swallow ; Eave Swallow. Petrochelidon 

lunifrons 

6.01 

Ad. — Head dark blue; forehead cream-white ; back dark, with 
bluish reflections; rump pale hrick-red • throat deep chestnut; belly 
whitish; tail square or fan-shaped in flight. 

Nest, of mud, under tlie eaves of barns or outbuildings. Eggs, 
white, spotted with reddish-brown. 

The Eave Swallow is a summer resident of Xew England 
and New York, arriving about the flrst of lATay, and leaving 
early in September. In some regions it is very abundant, but 
it is often absent from wide areas, as about l>oston. Even 



146 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEAV YORK 

where it does not breed, it may be observed as a migrant near 
large bodies of water. Its ordinary note is a harsh mono- 
syllable. 

In western Massachusetts and in northern New England, 
colonies, numbering frequently over fifty nests, may be 

found under the eaves of barns 
on large farmsteads ; these colo- 
nies are often a mile or so apart, 
whereas the Barn Swallow in- 
habits almost every outbuilding 
along the road. Toward the end 
of May, Eave Swallows are seen 
hovering daintily over mud- 
puddles, or flying with a pellet 
of mud to their half-finished 
nests. These are composed of 
mud, and are gray when dry ; 
they are placed outside of the 
barn, directly under the eaves, 
and are often retort-shaped, that 
is, furnished with a neck bent 
away from the round body of 
the nest. 

The sitting female often 
Fig. 35. Cliff Swallow ^ , .-,-,-, i 

thrusts out her head, showing 

the cream-ivhite frontlet, and in early July, as the parents 

fly up to the nests from below, or cling to the entrance, ' 

they show the reddish-hroivn rump. 

Purple Martin. Progne suhis 
8.00 

Ad. ^. — Entire body glossy blue-black; wings and tail brown. 
jld. 9 . — Upper parts, wings, and tail brown, glossed on the head 
and back with purple; throat and forehead gray; breast brown; 
belly whitish. 

Nest, in " martin boxes." Eggs, white. 




SCAELET TANAGER 147 

The Purple Martin is a summer resident throughout New 
York and New England, but it is extremely local, and ap- 
parently growing more rare. Martin boxes set up on tall 
poles are an interesting feature of many villages and farm- 
steads, but through large sections of the country, most of 
Berkshire County, Mass., for instance, Martins are entirely 
absent. They seem to have a decided preference for the 
valleys of slow streams, where they may hawk over exten- 
sive meadows and sheets of water. They return to their 
boxes toward the end of April, and leave New England 
before September. 

Their loud, deep voices and the rich blue-black of the 
males make them attractive neighbors. They spend much 
time sitting on the doorsteps, so to speak, of their houses, 
— the ledge before the entrance to the box. In July the 
young birds are seen thrusting their heads out for food. 
The ordinary notes are a deep musical pew, peiv, peiv, and 
a twitter like that of the Barn Swallow, but richer. They 
have also a harsh squeak. The colonies nearest Boston are 
in West Boxbury, Hyde Park, Dedham, Lexington, and 
Concord ; near New York city there are colonies at Plain- 
field, N. J. 

TANAGERS: FAMILY TANAGRIDiE 

Scarlet Tanager. Piranga erythromelas 
7.25 

Ad. $. — Entire body bright scarlet; wings and tail black. 
Ad. 9- — Upper parts greenish; wings and tail brown; under 
parts yellowish. Ad. $ in autumn. — Like the 9 > bnt wings and tail 
black. Im. — Like the female, but ^ has black wing coverts. 

Nest, of fine twigs, loosely built, on a limb, seven to twenty 
feet up. Eggs, bluish, with reddish-brown markings. 

The Scarlet Tanager is a summer resident throughout 
New England and New York, common in southern New 



148 BIRDS OF NEAV ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

England, especially in oak and chestnut woods, rarer in the 
evergreen forests of northern New York and New England. 
It arrives early in May, and is occasionally seen in Sep- 
tember. The Tanager is chiefly a bird of the forest trees, 
though it not infrequently nests about houses in well- 
wooded towns or villages. It is not a very active bird, and 
unless its note attracts attention, it escapes observation to 
such a degree that it is commonly considered rare. 

Its song, rhythmical, hoarse, and not long sustained, sug- 
gests a IRobin with a cold. Occasionally, in the height of the 
breeding season, it is a prolonged and sweet performance. 
Both sexes have a characteristic call-note, chiio-churr, the 
last note lower. The female can hardly be confused with 
anything else ; it is hard, however, to tliink of a yellow- 
ish bird, with greenish upper parts, as a ^^ Scarlet " 
Tanager. 



FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC.: FAMILY FRIN- 
GILLIDiE 

The Sparrow family includes a larger proportion of the 
bird population of any region than any other family, but 
many of its representatives go by the name of Finches, or 
conceal their relationship by other names. One branch of the. 
family contains chiefly bright tree-haunting birds of north- 
ern affinities. Many of these are of only irregular occur- 
rence in southern New England ; such are the Crossbills, the 
Redpoll, and the Pine Grosbeak. The Goldfinch is common 
throughout New York and New England, and the Purple 
Finch common north of Connecticut. Another branch of 
the family includes three or four bright-colored birds of 
southern affinities ; these are the Indigo-bird, the Rose- 
breasted Grosbeak, the Cardinal, and the Chewink. The 
rest of the family is mainly made up of the brown, ground- 
haunting birds, that are commonly referred to as Sparrows. 



INDIGO BUNTING 149 

These inhabit every sort of country except the deep forest ; 
some are local, and never occur except in salt marshes or wet 
meadows ; others, like the Song Sparrow and the Chipping 
Sparrow, are widely distributed. The White-crowned, Tree, 
and Fox Sparrows breed north of the United States, and 
occur here only as migrants ; others, such as the White- 
throated Sparrow and the Junco breed only in northern New 
York and New England. In trying to identify a brown 
Sparrow one should notice first of all whether the breast is 
streaked or not ; the next important point to settle is the 
presence or absence of yellow, buff, or black lines on the 
side of the head. 



Indigo Bunting ; Indigo-bird. Cyanospiza cyanea 
5.59 

Ad. $. — Entire body deep indigo-blue, deepest on the head, 
often with greenish reflections; wings and tail brown, the feathers 
margined with blue. Ad. 9 and Im. — Upper parts light brown, 
■unstreaked ; under parts grayish, washed with brown, especially 
on the breast ; wings and tail sometimes margined with bluish, 
Ad. $ in autumn. — Like the 9? but wings and tail decidedly 
bluish. 

Nest, in low bushes, a foot or two from the ground. Eggs, 
white. 

The Indigo-bird is a common permanent resident of New 
England and New York, very common on the upland region 
of New England, but not known to occur on Cape Cod. It 
arrives early in May, and remains till October. It frequents 
bushy roadsides, overgrown pastures, and the edges of wood- 
land. In the fall it is found in low gardens or cornfields, 
or neglected weedy spots. 

The male generally sings from the top of some low tree, 
where his deep color fades into tlie blue or light-colored 
background of the sky. The song is ditiicult io\ beginners 
to remember ; it consists often of sets of phrases given in a 



150 BIRDS OF NE^Y ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

high key, then repeated in a slightly lower key, growing 
feebler as the song ends. It resembles the syllables sicee- 
swee-swee, swee-swee (slightly lower), sweet-siueet-sweet, 
swee-sivee (slightly lower), swee, siuee, sivee. The song is 
heard constantly through July and into August. 

The male can be confused only with the Bluebird, and 
then only if the under parts are not seen ; no other New 
England bird is hlue all over. The female may be known 
by her uiistreaked brown back, her brownish under parts, 
and her habit of twitching the tail sideways as she appears 
and disappears in the roadside thickets. 

E.osE-BE,EASTED Grosbeak. Zamelodia ludoviciana 
8.12 

Ad. $. — Head, throat, upper back, wings, and tail black; 
wings and tail much spotted with white ; lower back white ; 
hreast rose-red, a stripe of this color often extending down the 
white belly, and a salmon tinge under the wings ; hill large, 
lohite when seen from below. Ad. 9- — The black of the male 
replaced by brown ; back and breast streaked ; bar across the 
wing and line over eye, white • line through crown white, streaked 
with brown; bill large, light colored. Ad. '^ in late summer and 
fall. — Head brown; line above eye whitish ; back brown ; rump 
whitish; breast pink, veiled with buff ; wings and ta,il Jet-black and 
white. Im. $ . — Similar to ad. $ in late summer, but pink not 
so extensive ; wings and tail brown. 

Nest, of twigs, loosely constructed, from five to twenty-five 
feet up in bush or tree. Eggs, pale blue, with numerous brown 
markings. 

The Eose-breasted Grosbeak is a summer resident through- 
out I^ew York and New England, common in some regions, 
but rare in others, for instance on Long Island. It is said 
not to occur on Cape Cod, and in the upland of northern 
New England, though found even high up on the moun- 
tains, it is nowhere common. It arrives in May, and 
remains into September. Of late years it has shown a 
preference for villages, and even for city streets, if well- 



ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK 151 

shaded ; it also occurs in orchards, but apparently its natural 
habitat is a growth of young trees or saplings, particularly 
in low ground. In midsummer it is often seen in potato- 
fields, collecting the slugs of the potato-beetle to carry to 
its young. 

The song of the E-ose-breasted Grosbeak is a fine, power- 
ful warble, with some of the cadence of the Robin's song, 




Fig. 36. Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Female 

though faster ; a " glorified E-obin," Burroughs has called 
it. Its alarm-note is a sharp, metallic click. 

The female looks like an overgrown sparrow, and may 
readily be told by her large bill, the white line orer her 
eye, and the white on the wing. As the male flies, he shows 
a ring of white, formed by the white in his wing. 

Cardinal. Cardinalls cantinalis 

8.25 

Ad. $. — Top and sides of head, conspicuous crest, and under 
parts bright red; forehead and throat bhick; back, win^s, and tail 
tinged with gray; bill red. Ad. 9. — Crest, wings, and tail dull 



152 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

reddish; upper parts brownish; throat gray; rest of under parts 
dull buffy, sometimes showing a trace of red on the breast; bill 
light-colored. Im. — Similar to $ , but bill blackish. 

Nest^ in bushes or vines, of twigs, bark, and rootlets. Eggs^ 
white or bluish-white, spotted with brown or lavender. 

The Cardinal is a permanent resident of northern ]^ew 
Jersey, Staten Island, and the lower Hudson Valley, as far 
north as Hastings ; it is rare on Long Island, but is not 
uncommon in Central Park ; in iSTew England it occurs only 
as an accidental visitor. It frequents thickets, especially 
along streams, mounting tall trees to utter its loud, pure 
whistle, but seeking its food in the shrubbery, or on the 
ground. In winter it frequents warm hollow^s on sheltered 
hillsides. 

Its notes are too numerous to transcribe, but are nearly all 
loud and clear ; the same note is generally repeated with 
energy and rapidly. Some common forms of the song re- 
semble the syllables ichoit, luhoit, luhoit, etc., ku, ku, ku, 
etc. ; one form ends in a series of ee's ^' so long continued 
that it apparently ends only when the singer becomes out 
of breath." The female also has sweet whistled notes, and 
both sexes utter as an alarm-note a sharp tsi}), slight in pro- 
portion to the size of the bird. 

There is no other bird in New York or New England 
with which the male Cardinal can be confused ; the Tan- 
ager has black wings and tail, and no crest. The female 
shows a reddish tinge in her crest, wings, and tail, and, 
like the male, has a trick of nervously jerking her tail 
upward. 

TowHEE ; Chewink. Pipilo erythroijlitliahnus 

8.35 

Ad. $. — Head, throat, breast, back, wings, and tail black; the 
wing-feathers margined with white; the outer tail-feathers with 
large white spots; belly white; flanks chestnut. Ad. 9- — The 
black of the male replaced by a light reddish-brown • otherwise 



TOWHEE 



153 



similar. Im. — Head and back brown ; breast streaked with black; 
wings brown and white ; tail as in ad. 

Nest, on the ground, often under a heap of brush. Egg^, wliite, 
evenly speckled with brown. 




Fig. 37. Towhtt 



The Chewink is a common summer resident of southern 
and central New England and of the Hudson Valley. In 
the northern parts of New York and 
New England it is confined to the more 
settled portions, and frequents pastures 
that are becoming overgrown with 
bushes. It arrives late in April, and 
stays into October. It is abundant in 
scrubby oak, such as is common on 
Cape Cod and on Martha's Vineyard. 
When undisturbed, it scratches ener- 
getically in the dry leaves under the bushes, or mounts some 
low tree to sing. 

The song varies considerably, but as a rule resembles the 
syllables dick-yoo, chiddle-chiddle-chiddle. The Chewink 
has two broods, and therefore 
sings well into July. The 
alarm-note, cht-u'ee', has given 
the bird its name ; often the 
southern name, Joree, seems 
to suggest the note better. 
During the breeding season 
it has a sharp, sibilant call- 
note which suggests the sst 
of certain of the sparrows. 

When startled, the Chewink 
flies with jerks of its widespread tail. 




Tail of Towhee 



?o that the lar<;e 



white spots on the outer tail-feathers show clearly. When 
seen from below, the angle made M'here the black brtvist 
meets the white belly is an excellent tield-mark. At close 
range the bright red iris is conspicuous. 



154 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Fox Sparrow. Passerella iliaca 

7.26 

Ad. — Top of head and back reddish-brown and gray; tail red- 
dish-hrown ; sides of throat and breast thickly marked with bright 
reddish-brown spots, forming a heavy blotch in the centre of the 
breast; belly and sides marked with dark brown arrow-shaped 
spots. 

The Fox Sparrow is a common migrant through New 
York and New England from the middle of March to the 
end of April, and from the middle of October to the end of 
November. The bushes along the edges of cultivated fields 
and open places in woods are the resort of this large and 
handsome sparrow. When a flock of Fox Sparrows are 
startled from the ground, they generally fly into a tree, one 
after another, instead of diving headlong into cover after 
the manner of their frequent companions the Song Spar- 
rows. The rich tawny color of the back and head, and par- 
ticularly the reddish-brow 11 tail, are then conspicuous. 
When seen on the ground, the large arroiv-shajyed mark- 
ings on the white breast and flanks are prominent. When 
on the ground, they scratch with both feet at once, jumping 
forward and back, often making a noticeable rustling among 
the leaves. Often the little flocks which we meet are silent, 
but sometimes they sing freely. 

The song is loud and rich, one of the finest of sparrow 
songs ; there is a suggestion of generosity and courage in 
the manner of its delivery and the fullness of its tone ; it 
is occasionally heard in the autumn. The ordinary call-note 
is a st, similar to that of the Song Sparrow and the White- 
throat, but slightly heavier. The bird also utters a cMich 
of alarm. 

The fox color should distinguish this sparrow from the 
others. Certain Song Sparrows, especially those seen in early 
spring, are so unusually reddish-brown on the upper parts, 
that a beginner might be puzzled to decide whether they 



SWAMP SPAEROW 155 

were Song Sparrows or Fox Sparrows, but as in many simi- 
lar cases, a doubtful Fox Sparrow is probably a spurious 
one ; the genuine Fox Sparrow is so very tawny that, when 
he really appears, no doubt of his identity is left in the 
mind. The White-throated Sparrow^s period of migration 
slightly overlaps the Fox Sparrow's, both in April and 
October, but the tail of the former is grayish-brown. The 
Fox Sparrow is not infrequently mistaken for the Hermit 
Thrush ; the tail is reddish-brown in both birds, but the 
back and head of the Thrush and his breast-markings have 
none of the rich tawny color of the Sparrow. 

Sv^AMP Sparrow. Melospiza georgiana 
5.89 

Ad. in summer. — Crown rich reddish-brown, blackish on the 
forehead; back brown, streaked with black; wings reddish-brown; 
breast and sides of throat ashy gray, uustreaked; throat whitish; 
flanks washed with brownish. Ad. in winter and Im. — Crown 
streaked with black and reddish-brown. 

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, whitish, thickly covered with brown- 
ish markings. 

The Swamp Sparrow breeds in any extensive grassy 
swamp throughout New England and the Hudson Valley, 
arriving early in April, and remaining through October. 
Along the sea-coast of southern New England and New 
York, where the winter is not very severe, it occasionally 
winters in the edges of the cat-tail swamps. In migration, 
especially in September and early October, wlien Swamp 
Sparrows are often abundant, they may occur at some dis- 
tance from swamps or wet meadows. 

The song of the Swamp Sparrow is simple but musical, 
as if a Chipping Sparrow were singing in the marshes an 
unusually sweet song. Toward evening the birds make 
many little twittering and scolding sounds, as they pursue 
each other to and fro. The call-note is a metallic c/iinl'. 



156 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

resembling that of the White-throated Sparrow, but a little 
less heavy. 

In spring the chestnut eroicn and reddish-brown of the 
wings, without white bars, distinguish the Swamp Sparrow 
from all but the Chipping Sparrow ; the latter, however, 
never resorts to the wet swamp lands and has a more slen- 
der, less stocky figure (see p. 162). In the fall the un- 
streaked breast distinguishes it from the Song Sparrows 
Avhich abound in the swamps at that season. The Swamp 
Sparrow has a square whitish throat-patch, but it is far 
less conspicuous than the pure white throat of the White- 
throated Sparrow ; the latter moreover may readily be dis- 
tinguished by its greater size and the black and white head 
markings. (See Fig. 45, p. 164.) 

LixcoLx's Spakrow. Melospiza lincolnii 

5.75 

Ad. — Upper parts brown, finely streaked with black and gray; 
under parts white, finely streaked with black, and washed across 
the breast with huff. 

The Lincoln's Sparrow, or Lincoln's Finch, is a rare 
migrant through Xew York and ISTew England in May, late 
September, and early October. It is probably less rare in 
western Xew England than along the eastern coast. In 
spring it frequents the bushes on the edges of swampy or 
wet places, especially in valleys which are good migration 
routes. In the fall it accompanies the migrant Song and 
Swamp Sparrows, and may be found near the grassy swamps 
and wet meadows Avhere these species then congregate. It 
rarely sings on migration, and only occasionally utters its 
alarm-note, a slight tsvjj. 

It requires a well-trained eye to distinguish it from the 
Song Sparrow. It is possible to find it by persistently gazing 
at every sparroAv in a migrating company in turn, using the 
opera-glass, until one is at last discovered with a pale buff 



SONG SPARROW 



157 



band across the narrow streaking of the breast. When one 
has become familiar with the species, other differences are 
apparent ; the bird is smaller than the Song Sparrow, trim- 
mer, more elegant. Its tail is shorter, and the color of its 
back and the side of its head is olive-gray rather than red- 
dish-brown. It is more apt than the other sparrows to raise 
its crest-feathers slightly when alarmed. (See ''Bird-Lore,'^ 
vol. ii. p. 109.) 

Song Sparrow. Melosinza cinerea melodia 
6.30 

Ad. — Upper parts brown, the back streaked with darker 
brown; top of head reddish-brown, with streaks of gray through 
centre and over each eye; breast and sides streaked with reddish- 
brown, the streaks generally coalescing to form a large spot in the 
centre of the breast ; two other large spots- at the sides of the 
throat ; tail rather long. 

Nest, placed either in grass or sedge on the ground, or in a low 
bush. Eggs, heavily spotted with reddish-brown. 

The Song Sparrow is a common permanent resident in 
the lower Hudson Valley and in southern Connecticut and 
Rhode Island ; it winters not 
uncommonly in the edges of 
marshes or in piles of brush 
along the Massachusetts coast. 
In the rest of New York and 
New England the Song Sparrow 
is an abundant summer resident, 
arriving early in March and re- 
maining through October. Where 
the bird winters, its song may 
be heard on mild days, even in 
the winter months, and especially during the latter part of 
February, but in general its song is one of the signs of 
spring. 

From about the middle of July, througli the late summer 




Fig. 39. Song- Sparrow 



158 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

and fall, the Song Sparrow utters from the weeds or corn- 
fields a low warbling song, quite different from the ordinary- 
sprightly song. The ordinary alarm-note of the Song Spar- 
row is a sharp tschik ; another very common note may be 
written sst ; White-throats and Fox Sparrows both utter 
notes similar to the last, but slightly heavier. The song is 
subject to endless variation in the species, and varies to a 
considerable degree even in the same individual, but it com- 
monly begins with three brisk notes or pairs of notes, whitj 
whit, whit, or o-lit o-lit o-lit, and in the middle of the song 
there is apt to be a harsh burring note, after which the 
song runs quickly out to some ending. 

The Song Sparrow is found wherever there are bushes, 
but particularly near water. It is a brisk, active bird, but 
not at all fond of the open, diving headlong into the nearest 
tangle when alarmed. When in the bushes it is continu- 
ally hopping about, with jerking movements of wing and 
tail. Only when preening its feathers after a bath, or when 
singing from the top of some low tree, does it sit quiet. 
(See under Vesper Sparrow, p. 172, and under Savanna 
Sparrow, p. 170.) 

Slate-colored Junco ; Snowbird. Ju7ico hyemalis 
6.27 

Ad. $. — Head, back, throat, and breast slate-gray, the latter 
sharply defined from the white belly ; two outer tail-feathers and 
part of the third, white. Ad. J. — The upper parts browner; 
throat and breast paler. Im. — Upper parts, throat, and breast 
streaked. 

Nest, often built in the side of road, or in a depression in a 
bank, or on the ground. Eggs, white, spotted with brown. 

The Snowbird is a common winter resident of southern 
Connecticut and Rhode Island, and the lower Hudson Val- 
ley, and not uncommon along the Massachusetts coast as far 
north as Boston. In the interior, where snow is deep during 



SLATE-COLORED JUNCO 



159 




much of the winter, the Snowbird occurs only as a migrant, 
through April, and again in late September and October. 
On the higher summits of Berk- 
shire and Worcester counties, on 
the Catskills, and in northern 
New England and New York, 
wherever there are patches of 
spruce, the Snowbird is a com- 
mon summer resident. In winter 
flocks frequent the warm slopes 
where weedy patches have been 
laid bare, in severe weather often 
coming about the house and barn, ^^^' ^^- Slate-colored Junco 
particularly if seed is scattered for them. In the spring migra- 
tion they are found at the edges of cultivated fields, and 
along the roadsides ; and in the autumn in more open wood- 
land. They breed either on rocky mountain tops, where they 
occur higher up than any 
other bird, or in spruce for- 
ests, particularly where there 
are clearings or pastures. 

The Snowbird's song is a 
pleasant little jingle, like the 
clinking of bits of metal 
struck rapidly together. (See 
under Chipping Sparrow, p. 
161.) The bird sings often 
from a stone, or from the top 
of an evergreen. It has also a smack of alarm, a jieif ])et( 
pen, uttered when two birds are quarreling, and a twittering 
sound given when one bird starts to fly, apparently to keep 
the flock together. 

The pure white V made by the outer tail-feathers, when 
tlie bird rises from the ground, or the dark cowled appearance 
of the head, as it is seen from below, easily distinguish it. 




Fig. 41. Tail of Slate-colored 
Junco 




160 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTEEN NEW YORK 

Field Sparrow. Siyizella inisilla 
5.68 

Ad. — Top of head and back reddish-brown ; a rusty streak be- 
hind the eye; cheeks otherwise grayish ; gray line over eye, but 
no black line through it ; hill reddish-brown ; wing-bars whitish ; 
under parts gray ; breast washed with pale buff. 

Nest, placed on the ground, or in a low bush. Eggs, white, with 
brown markings. 

The Field Sparrow is a common summer resident of 
southern Kew England and the lower Hudson Valley ; in 
northern Xew England it is confined to 
the cleared land in the settlements, and it 
is absent in the Canadian Zone. It arrives 
early in April, and remains through Octo- 
ber. There are several records of its occur- 
rence in southern New England in winter. 
Fig. 42. Field Q\^ pastures, overgrown with high bushes 
and cedars, and the edges of woodland are 
its favorite resorts ; if is never a bird of the yard, or of the 
cultivated fields. 

Its song is a fine strain, beginning with two or three 
high sustained, piercing notes, then running into a succes- 
sion of similar, more rapid notes, all in a minor key, and 
often running down, or occasionally up, the chromatic scale. 
Sometimes the last rapid notes rise, and occasionally one 
note is repeated throughout. A beautiful form of the song, 
often given towards evening, is made by a repetition of the 
whole in a different key, as soon as the first part is ended. 
The call-note is a tsip lighter than that of the Chipping 
Sparrow. 

The reddish-hroivn hill of the Field Sparrow is the best 
mark by which to distinguish it from the Chipping Spar- 
row ; any one familiar with the bird soon learns also to 
recognize a certain characteristic aspect of the side of its 
head, where its black eye stands out in contrast with the 



CHIPPING SPAEROW 161 

light gray around it ; in the Chipping Sparrow the black 
line through the eye and the white line over it give the 
head a very different appearance. 

Chipping Sparrow. Spizella socialis 
5.37 

Ad. — Crown reddish-brown, a gray line over the eye, a black 
line through it • cheek gray ; back brown, streaked with black ; 
under parts ash-gray ; bill black (cinnamon-brownish in winter) ; 
tail long and slender, rather deeply notched, Im. — Young birds 
in the first plumage have the breast streaked, in the next they 
lack the reddish crown. 

Nest, always lined with horsehair, placed in a bush, vine, or 
low tree. Eggs, bluish, with brown or blackish markings. 

The Chipping Sparrow is an abundant summer resident 
throughout New York and New England, breeding even in 
the forested regions wherever there are 
clearings and cultivated ground. It arrives 
early in April and remains through Octo- 
ber. It is common in the village door- 
yards, about farm buildings, along the 
roadsides, and in the pasture, especially 

where there are OTOves of red cedars. It ^ 

. . , . Fig. 43. Chipping 

is unsuspicious, and often comes to the Sparrow 

doorstep in search of food. 

The song is a succession of staccato notes, or rather the 
same note repeated rather rapidly ; the songs of different in- 
dividuals vary greatly as to time. The song resembles that 
of the Snowbird, but is drier and less musical ; the Swamp 
Sparrow's song is still more powerful and musical, while the 
Pine Warbler's song is a trill, the notes running lazily into 
each other. The Cliipping Sparrow's call-note is a slight tslp. 

The reddish-brown crown and loistrcal-ed as//// birasf 
distinguish it readily from most of tlie other sparrows ; 
from its close relative the Field Sparrow it may be told in 




162 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

summer by its hlack hill and the hlack line through the 
eye ; in the fall Chipping Sparrows are often seen with 
reddish-brown bills. There is more black in the Chipping 
Sparrow's back and less reddish-brown, so that its back 
looks darker. From a description of the Swamp Sparrow, 
one might suppose that it resembles the Chipping Sparro\^' ; 
'as a matter of fact, the latter is so slender and its tail is 
so long, that even if the two happened to come together 
as migrants in the spring and fall, one ought to have no 
difficulty in distinguishing them. 

Tree Sparrow. Spizella monticola 

6.36 

Ad, — Crown reddish-brown; back brownish, streaked with 
black; wiug-bars white; under parts pale gray; a dusky spot in the 
centre of the hreast ; sides tinged with reddish-brown. 

The Tree Sparrow is a common winter visitant in New 
York and New England, appearing in October and leaving 

in April. It is even more nu- 
merous as a migrant than in 
winter. Tree Sparrows fre- 
quent sheltered spots where 
food and cover can be found ; 
the edges of marshes, old fields 
grown up to weeds, and dry 
hillsides covered with ragweed 
Fig. 44. Tree Sparrow {Amhrosia) are favorite resorts. 

A single bird is rare, and flocks 
sometimes number a hundred. They scatter over the feeding- 
ground, reaching up for the seeds, jumping for them, or even 
lighting on the taller plants, and bending them down with 
their weight. A snow-fall enables them to reap a harvest, 
from still taller plants, and their tracks now form a network 
from one stalk to the other. 




WHITE-THROATED SPARROW 163 

While feeding, the flock keep up a cheerful twitter, each 
bird repeating the syllables teel-wit in a sweet, lively tone. 
When startled the Tree Sparrow utters a slight tsip. This 
note is also used as a call-note, and may be heard on dark 
winter afternoons as the birds fly into weedy thickets to 
spend the night. The song, uttered in March and April, and 
occasionally in the autumn, is sweet and rather loud, be- 
ginning with four long-drawn notes, tvhee-hee-ho-hee (Lan- 
gille). The form of the opening is like that of the Fox 
Sparrow, but the notes are not so rich and powerful. 

In winter the Tree Sparrow may easily be distinguished 
from any other wintering sparrow by its unstreaked breast, 
chestnut crown, and white wing-bars. In October and April 
it often associates with Chipping Sparrows and Field Spar- 
rows, and from these two species it may be distinguished 
by its greater size and the whiter wing-bars, but chiefly by a 
dusky spot in the centre of the breast. 

White-throated Sparrow. Zonotrichia albicollis 
6.74 

Ad. — Crown black, with a white stripe through the centre; a 
broad white stripe over each eye, ending in a yellow line before 
the eye ; back and wings rich reddish-brown; wing-bars white; a 
square white throat-patch bounded by ash-gray; breast pale-gray; 
belly white; sides of belly brownish; tail brown, with no tawuy 
tinge. Im. — Crown dark brown ; stripe through middle of crown 
very faint ; line over eye dull buffy ; yellow before eye dull ; throat- 
patch grayish-white. 

Nest, placed either on the ground, or in low bush. Eggs, heavily 
spotted with pinkish-brown. 

The White-throated Sparrow is a common summer resi- 
dent of the Canadian Zone, wherever balsam firs grow. In 
southern and central New York and New England it is a 
common migrant in late April and early INEay, and again in 
late September and through October. A few White-throats 
winter in southern New England and in the lower Hudson 



164 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 




Fig. 45. 



White-throated 
Sparrow 



Valley, finding shelter in piles of brush, or the edges of 
marshes. In migration they frequent dry roadside thickets, 
or shrubbery, where they scratch for 
food on the ground, or fly when startled 
into the neighboring trees. In the 
breeding season they prefer overgrown 
clearings, where raspberry-bushes grow 
breast high among fallen trees, or the 
swampy forests of balsam fir. 

Their song is perhaps the most no- 
ticeable sound in the northern woods, 
and oftenest attracts the attention of a beginner ; it is 
easily imitated by whistling, and has been variously ren- 
dered as Old Sam Peahody^ Peahodi/, Peabody, or Sow 
ivheat, Peeverly, Peeverly, Peeverly ; in fact it is often 
called the Peabody-bird. The song is often attempted in 
the fall, but is rarely clear and true at that time. Even in 
summer it often drops on the second triplet to a flatted 
note. The alarm-note is a brisk metallic chi]) ; this note 
is also used in the dusk when the birds are settling for the 
night. Another note is a sst similar to the lisp of the Song 
Sparrow and the Fox Sparrow. (See following species.) 



White-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia leucophrys 

6.88 

Ad. — Crown black, with a broad white stripe through the centre, 
and a white line extending back from the eye ; no yellow before the 
eye; sides of head and back of neck brownish-gray; back, wings, 
and tail brown ; wing-bars white ; under parts gray ; no well-marked 
white throat-patch ; hill reddish-lrown. Im. — Crown reddish-brown; 
stripe through centre pale grayish-brown; otherwise as in adult. 

The White-crowned Sparrow is a migrant in May, and in 
late September and October ; rare in eastern Massachusetts 
and in the Hudson Valley, not uncommon at times in Berk- 
shire County and in the White Mountains. It is fond of the 




SEASIDE SPAREOW 165 

same places that the White-throated Sparrow frequents, — 
thickets and undergrowth, the edges of roads, and weedy 
patches. 

Its song is too rarely heard ; it be- 
gins with pure sweet notes that suggest 
the Meadowlark's whistle, or a Vesper 
Sparrow singing louder than usual, 
and continues with notes that recall 
the Black-throated Green Warbler ; 

the whole performance is quite differ- ^'^- ^^- White-crowned 

^ ^ Sparrow 

ent from the song of the White-throat. 

An adult bird is distinguished from its relative the 
White-throat by the absence of yellow before the eye, by 
the pure ashy throat, which lacks the square white throat- 
patch, and by the different aspect of the crown, — the broad- 
est white stripe is in the centre, and there is no broad stripe 
of white over the eye. The shape of the head, moreover, 
is different and characteristic : the back of the head seems 
a little higher than the crown. In fall the immature bird 
must be distinguished by the cleaner look about the sides of 
the head and throat ; everything is ashy-gray, except the 
crown. The bill in both adults and young is reddish-broivn. 

Seaside Sparrov^. Ammodramus maritimus 
6.00 

Ad. — Upper parts brownish-gray, nearly uniform ,- line from 
hill to eye yellow ; throat wMtish, with a dark streak on each side ; 
rest of under parts grayish-white; breast streaked with dull gray; 
no buff on side of head. Im. — Upper parts streaked with black; 
under parts buffy white; breast and sides streaked with dark 
grayish-brown. 

Nest, in the grass on the ground. Eggs, white, speckled with 
reddish-brown, especially at the larger end. 

The salt marshes along the sea-coast from Toint Judith, 
K. I., southward, are inhabited by the Seaside Sparrow as 



166 BIKDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 




Fig. 47. Seaside Sparrow 



well as by the Sharp-tailed Sparrow, while north of Rhode 
Island only the latter is found. Both species inhabit the 

marshes along the Ar- 
thur Kill, on Staten 
Island. The Seaside 
Sparrows arrive in 
May, and can be found 
in the marshes till Oc- 
tober, but the breed- 
ing season, June and 
July, is the best time 
to visit them, for then 
they and their relatives, the Sharp-tailed Sparrows, are 
found well out in the marsh, and hardly any other species of 
Sparrow with them. The grass, too, is short, and progress 
not difficult. As one looks over the level expanse, small 
birds are seen flying jerkily up and dropping down again 
a short distance beyond. Occasionally one flies to a con- 
siderable height, and sings as he drops back. The birds 
cling to the coarse grass along the tidal streams or ditches, 
or to the old stalks of high-tide bushes (Iva'). Here they 
utter their feeble trisyllabic song, the last syllable a 
wheeze. 

From their relatives the Sharp-tails they may be easily 
distinguished by their dark gray look, due to the absence of 
buff on the sides of the head ; the Sharp-tails have so much 
buff about the head that they are almost bright colored. 
From the Swamp Sparrows, which also have a white throat, 
the gray look and the absence of rich reddish-brown on the 
flanks should distinguish them ; note, too, the Seaside Spar- 
row's long bill. There are generally Long-billed Marsh 
AYrens associated with the Seaside Sparrows in the coarse 
grass along the ditches, but the Wrens are smaller birds, 
and they cock their tails over their backs with an absurd 
effect. 



SHARP-TAILED SPAEROW 167 

Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Ammodramus caiidacutus 
5.85 

Ad. — Top of head dark brown, with an indistinct gray line 
through the centre ; back brown, the feathers margined with whit- 
ish; line over eye and for some distance behind it huffy, separated 
from a buffy stripe alongside of throat by an ash-gray cheek- 
patch; under parts washed with bufpy (except in midsummer), 
hreast and sides streaked with black; tail-feathers narrow and 
pointed, the middle pair the longest. Im. in summer. — Under 
parts buffy, with very indistinct streaking on the breast. 

Nest, of grasses on the ground. Eggs, pale blue, finely speckled 
with reddish. 

The Sharp-tailed Sparrow is a common, though somewhat 
local, summer resident of extensive salt marshes along the 
coast of New York and New 
England, such as occur along 
the Arthur Kill, on Staten 
Island, and at Eevere and Ips- 
wich, Mass. It arrives in May, 
and stays till October. The 
tall coarse grass {Spartina), 
called thatch in New England, 
which grows along the tidal Fig. 48. Sharp-tailed Sparrow 
creeks and ditches, is its favorite haunt. When perching, 
it grasps the stalk with feet widespread, or, when startled, 
dives down, perhaps to appear on the top of another patch. 
When feeding in the shorter grass, it runs with head dowai, 
like a Savannah Sparrow, or stands high on its stout legs. 

Its song is simple and unmusical ; Dr. Townsend has 
well described it as like '^ the hiss of hot iron in water." 
The male, when singing, frequently mounts a short distance 
into the air, but more often sings from the top of the grass, 
or from some post. 

It is to be recognized by its rather long bill and by its 
narrow tail, not square like a Savannah's, but witli tlio middle 
feathers longest, but chielly by the huffy line over the eije 




168 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

and along the sides of the throat. Birds seen from June to 
the middle of September all have streaked breasts ; and this 
streaking and the buffy cheeks distinguish them from their 
relatives and companions the Seaside Sparrows. (See preced- 
ing species.) Young birds have less streaking than the 
adults, but are much yellower below than the Seaside Spar- 
rows. 

Note. — There is another species of Sharp-tailed Sparrow, the Aca- 
dian {Ammodramus nelsoni subvirgatus), which inhabits the salt marshes 
of New Brunswick, and has been found breeding- in Sagadahoc County, 
Me. It occurs on the rest of the New Eng-land coast as a spring and 
fall migrant in May and October, but resembles the preceding species 
so closely that only a trained observer, viewing the bird at close rauge^ 
could distinguish it, A third subspecies {Ammodramus nelsoni) also 
occurs in October. 



Henslow's Sparrow. Ammodramus henslowii 
5.00 

Ad. — Upper parts dark brown, streaked with blackish; under 
parts whitish, narroioly streaked with black on breast and sides; 
tail short and narrow; bill heavy. 

Nest, on ground. Eggs, grayish- white, thickly speckled with pale 
brown. 

Henslow's Sparrow is a rare summer resident of southern 
and central New England, arriving in May and leaving in 

August. It is an extremely 
local bird, occurring in south- 
ern New England in exten- 
sive wet meadows along 
sluggish streams, and in 
Berkshire County and in 
southern New Hampshire 
in the ill-drained hillsides 
on the upland, where the 




Fig. 49. Henslow's Sparrow 



wet, neglected pastures are partially overgrown with spirsea, 
or the shrubby cinquefoil. From May to early August one 
can hear from such meadows or pastures one of the simplest 



GRASSHOPPER SPARROW 



169 



bird-songs, two syllables, fiee'-slc, delivered almost as one. 
The notes are sharp and carry a long distance, nor do they 
sound much more penetrating when one is almost upon the 
singer as he crouches on a low bush or plant. Like several 
of its relatives, the Henslow's Sparrow prefers, when dis- 
turbed, to hide silently in the grass, or to fly but a few rods 
and then drop into the grass, where it runs or squats. Its 
narrowly streaked breast and the absurdly large beak 
should identify it. 

Grasshopper Sparrow. Coturniculus savannarum 

passerinus 

5.38 

Ad. — Upper parts streaked with black, rich chestnut, and gray; 
line through the crown buff; under parts huffy, unstreaked. Im. — 
Breast spotted with blackish. 

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-brown. 

The Grasshopper Sparrow is a common summer resident 
of southern New England and the lower Hudson Valley, 
but is rare in most of 
Massachusetts ; in New 
Hampshire, it is found 
only here and there in 
or near the valleys of 
the Connecticut and the 
Merrimac, and in Maine 
it does not occur. It is 
common in certain sec- 
tions of Massachusetts, 
as on the dry, sterile fields of Nantucket, or the extensive 
plains in the Connecticut and Sudbury valleys, where the 
ground is siindy and the. grass not too luxuriant. The bird 
arrives late in April or early in ]\[ay, and remains till Sep- 
tember. 

It utters its insect-like soncf from some tall weed or low 




Fig. 50. Grasshopper Sparrow 



170 BIRDS OF NEW EXGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

post, and sometimes from the very ground. The song is so 
shrill that it takes a sharp ear to catch it. It is almost ex- 
actly like the stridulation of the green grasshopper, com- 
mon in low grass-land {Orchelimum vulgar e), tsickj tsick, 
tsurrrrrrr. The call-note consists of two notes, tillic, almost 
run together into one. The flight of the male from his sing- 
ing perch is curiously feeble and fluttering. 

From other grass-loving sparrows, the huffy unstreaked 
under parts should distinguish it. 

Savanna Sparkow ; Savannah Sparrow. Fasserculus 

sancliv ichensis savanna 

5.68 

Ad. — Upper parts brown, streaked with blackish; a yellow line 
over each eye, and a narrow white stripe through the centre of the 
crown; breast and sides rather narrowly streaked; the spot in the 
centre of the breast and on the sides of the throat not so prominent 
as in the Song Sparrow; tail rather short ; legs and feet pale pink. 
Im. — No yellow over eye. 

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, bluish-white, thickly marked with 
reddish-brown. 

The Savannah Sparrow is a common summer resident of 
the upland meadows of Berkshire County, Mass., and of 
northern New England and New York. It also breeds com- 
monly on the edges of extensive salt meadows along the 
New England coast, north of Long Island Sound, and on 
the wide alluvial meadows of certain rivers, such as the 
Concord and the Connecticut. Through southern I^ew Eng- 
land and the lower Hudson Valley it occurs chiefly as a 
migrant, common in April and early May,' and again in 
September and October. It should then be looked for in 
grassy fields, particularly near the sea-shore, or along the 
larger streams. 

The Savannah Sparrow, unlike most migrants, rarely 
sings during migration. On its breeding-ground the song 



IPSWICH SPAEROW 171 

continues through July. The song is unlike those of the 
Vesper Sparrow and the Song Sparrow, but might be con- 
fused with that of the Grasshopper Sparrow. It is uttered 
from a rock or a low post, and consists of two or three pre- 
liminary chips, followed by two long insect-like trills, the 
second in a little lower key than the first, tsip, tsip, tsi^j, 
tseeeeeeeee tsee-ee-ee-ee. The Grasshopper Sparrow's song 
is drier, less musical, and the trill is all on one note (see 
p. 169). When the birds have young about, they are very 
watchful, and observe an intruder by the hour, continually 
uttering a sharp tsup. When two birds quarrel, they utter 
a harsh hsss. The appearance of the Savannah Sparrow's 
head, as the bird faces one, should distinguish it from the 
Song Sparrow and the Vesper Sparrow ; the white median 
Ime and the yelloiu lines over the eyes give the head a 
striped appearance, quite distinct from that of the other two 
species. The shortness of its tail, too, is apparent when it 
flies ; after a short nervous flight it drops into the grass, 
where it runs along or squats motionless. 

Ipswich Sparrow. Passerculus princeps 

6.25 

Ad. in spring. — Spot before the eye yellow; line over eye 
white ; upper parts pale gray, streaked on the head with black, 
on the back with brown ; throat and belly white ; breast and 
sides streaked with brown ; legs and feet pale pink. Ad. in 
winter. — Similar, but without the yellow before the eye. 

The Ipswich Sparrow is a migrant and winter visitant 
along the sea-coast of New England and New York, com- 
moner during the migration than in winter. It arrives in 
November and stays till the first week of April. At all 
seasons it is conlined to extensive stretches of beach-grass, 
such as occur at Ipswich, Mass., on Cape Cod, and on Long 
Island ; occasionally it comes down to the beach and feeds 
there with Shore Larks and Snow Buntings. One can Hush 



172 BIRDS OF NEAV ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

it by walking through the beach-grass ; after a hurried 
flight it dives down again into the grass, and either crouches 
under a tuft of grass, or runs low from one bit of cover to 
the next. Its note is a faint tslp. 

Its general aspect is that of a large, i^ale Savannah Spar- 
row, and care must be taken to distinguish it from this 
species, which is often abundant in the beach-grass. 

Vesper Sparrow ; Bay-winged Bunting. Pooecetes 
graniineus 
6.12 
Ad. — Upper parts grayish brown, streaked with dark brown ; 
breast and sides rather narrowly streaked, the streaks often form- 
ing a spot in the centre ; sides of the throat narrowly streaked : 
cheek washed with buff ; bend of wing bay ; outer pair of tail- 
feathers mostly white, the next partly white. 

Nest, in a depression in grass or under a clump of plants. 
Eggs, dull white, buffy, or pinkish buffy, stained and speckled 
with reddish-brown. 

The Vesper Sparrow is a common summer resident of 
New York and New England, though absent, of course, in 

the heavily forested re- 
gions of northern New 
England. Even here it 
appears in the upper val- 
leys as soon as clearings 
are made and grass-land 
becomes extensive. The 
Vesper Sparrow arrives 
in early April, and stays 
till the middle or end 
of October. It frequents 




Fig. 51. Vesper Sparrow 



short-cropped pasture land, and the edges of cultivated 
fields. Here from a rock, a fence, or the limb of a tree, 
it sings its song, so often repeated toward evening that it 
has won for the bird its name. 



VESPER SPAEROW 173 

Beginners have much difficulty in distinguishing the 
song of this sparrow from that of the Song Sparrow. The 
opening notes of the latter are very various, but are almost 
always three, rather brisk and high. Those of the Vesper 
Sparrow are two, low, long, and sweet ; then after two 
higher notes the song runs off into a succession of trills, 
not musical in themselves, but aiding in giving the whole 
performance more dignity and sweetness than the Song 
Sparrow's livelier effort. The time is distinctly slower, and 
the whole number of notes greater than in the Song Spar- 
row's song. In certain regions the first of the opening notes 
is omitted, as in Berkshire County, Mass. , and northern New 
England, or they are modified, as on Nantucket, where they 
resemble those of the Field Sparrow. 

To distinguish between the Vesper Sparrow and the Song 
Sparrow, observe, if possible, the ivJiite outer tail-feathers 
of the former ; these, however, are often not clearly visible, 
— the bird must spread its tail fully to show them. One 
may also note the grayer shade of the Vesper Sparrow's 
brown, the dusky cheek-imtch, and the absence at the sides 
of the throat of the reddish-brown marks, which on the 
Song Sparrow form a triangle with the dark breast-spot. 
The Vesper Sparrow is a less nervous bird than the Song 
Sparrow ; it often runs or squats before one, either in the 
road, where it dusts itself like a hen, or in the grass ; the 
Song Sparrow darts with a jerk of its tail into the nearest 
bushes. 

Lapland Longspur. Calearius lapj^oiiicKs 
G.25 
Ad. $ in autumn. — Top of head and back brown, streaked 
with black ; sides of head and line behind eye butty ; reddish- 
chestnut collar on hind neck obscured by gray ; wings chestnut, 
with two white bars ; tail nearly black, outer pair of feathers 
tipped with wliite ; black feathers of the breast and sides veiled 
with gray ; belly white. Ad. 9 '" autumn. — Similar, but with 



174 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

less black ou the upper parts, and on the breast ; no buffy line 
back of eye ; often no reddish-brown on the hind neck. 

The Lapland Longspur is a very rare winter visitant 
along the sea-coast in the neighborhood of New York city, 
and a rare migrant along most of the New England coast. 
At Ipswich, Mass., on the grassy hills near the ocean, espe- 
cially at Great Neck, it is often a common fall migrant. It 
arrives late in October and often stays into January. It 
feeds either in company with Horned Larks and Snow Bunt- 
ings, or in small flocks alone. None of these birds hop ; 
all walk or run. 

■ Its notes are a harsh and rattling chirr, less musical 
than the roll of the Snow Bunting, and a sweet tyee, which 
corresponds to the tee of the Bunting. If one is thoroughly 
familiar with the Lark and the Bunting, it is easy to distin- 
guish the Longspur from them. The absence of a yellow 
throat-patch outlined with black separates it from the Lark, 
and its general dark tone distinguishes it from the Bunting. 
In fact, the reddish-brown wings and blackish breast suggest 
an immature male English Sparrow. 

Snowflake : Snow Bunting. Passerina nivalis 



6.88 



Ad. in autumn and winter. — Head and under parts white, 
washed on the head and sides of breast with brown ; the black 
feathers of the back veiled with gray and brown ; wings and tail 
black and white ; bill reddish-brown. Im. — Brown on the crown, 
and sides of throat deeper ; black of wings and tail not so clear, 
and white less pure. Ad. in March. — The brown begins to wear 
o£P, the plumage tending to become black and white. 

The Snow Bunting is a common winter resident on the 
coast of New York and New England, and along the shore 
of Lake Cham plain, arriving late in October and leaving 
toward the end of March. Occasionally large flocks appear 
in the interior, especially in northern New England, feeding 



EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH 175 

on the seeds of weeds in neglected fields and waste ground. 
It occurs also as a migrant in large river valleys, feeding on 
the muddy flats of lakes or ponds. On the sea-coast, flocks 
of Snow Buntings associate with Horned Larks, but the for- 
mer frequent the beach more than their companions, and the 
grassy hills less. 

The notes of the Snow Bunting are a high, sweet, though 
slightly mournful tee or tee-oo, a sweet rolling whistle, and 
a harsh bzz.. The great amount of white about the bird 
serves to distinguish it ; the white in the wing is especially 
conspicuous, as it flies over. On the ground it either walks 
or runs. 

European Goldfinch. Carduelis ca^^duelis 
5.50 

.4 c?. — Region about the base of the bill bright yed; top of the 
head and a stripe down the side of the neck black; sides of head 
white; back brown; rump white; wings and tail black, the former 
crossed by a hroad hand of bright yellow ; under parts dull white, 
sides brown; bill reddish-white, tipped with black. 

Nest, a neat cup, in bushes or small trees. Eggs, bluish-white 
or greenish-white, marked with purplish around the larger end. 

The European Goldfinch has been introduced in the 
neighborhood of New York city, and seems to have become 
permanently established in Central Park and other favora- 
ble places in the upper part of the city. It is resident 
throughout the year ; in the neighborhood of Boston it occurs 
rarely. It is restless and active, flies like our Goldfinch in 
undulations, but is more at home in trees than on the 
ground. 

A common note is like the syllables steeglit. It may 
easily be known by the broad hand of yclloiv across the 
black wing. Its under parts are white, unstreaked, w\u\e 
the Pine Siskin, which has a smaller yellow bar across the 
wing, is everywhere streaked. 



176 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Pine Siskix ; Pine Finch. Spinus pinus 
5.00 
Ad. — Upper parts grayish-brown, streaked with black; a yel- 
low bar across the loing, partly concealed by a whitish wing-bar; 
bases of tail-feathers sulphur-yellow, these and the wing-patch 
showing in flight; under parts gray, streaked with brownish; bill 
sharply pointed. 

Nest, in coniferous trees. Eggs, pale greenish blue, speckled 
chiefly around the larger end with reddish brown. 

The Pine Siskin is an abundant resident of the great 
coniferous forests of northern New England and New York. 

Occasionally it moves south- 
ward in great flocks, and 
spends the winter in south- 
ern New England and New 
York, often in company with 
Crossbills and Redpolls. An 
occasional migrant flock or 

single bird generally appears 
Fig. 52. Pine Siskin . ° ^ , ^ . • . ., 

m October, and m April or 

May. The Siskin, like the other northern finches, is rest- 
less and yet fearless. It occasionally feeds on the ground, 
and may then be approached almost within reach. It gen- 
erally feeds on the seeds of birches, and on those of pines 
and spruces, clinging easily to the twigs or cones. 

The common call-note resembles the syllables chee-ee 
given in a husky tone ; when flying it utters a note like the 
syllables tit-i-tit. Another very sweet call, often given by a 
single bird to call back the flock, is identical with a note of 
the American Goldfinch. The song heard even in March in 
the depths of the spruce forests is a rather formless succession 
of sweet notes, varied occasionally by a screeching note, like 
the noise made by blowing through a comb covered by paper. 

Siskins may be told from Goldfinches, with which they 
often associate, by the thick streaking over the entire 
under parts, and from Redpolls by the thicker streaking on 




AMERICAN GOLDFINCH 177 

the belly, and by the absence of the blackish throat. (See 
Fig. 53.) 

American Goldfinch. Astragalinus tristis 
5.10 

Ad. $. — Crown black; body bright yellow; wings and tail 
black, spotted with white. Ad. 9- — Upper parts brownish-olive; 
under parts yellowish, with a dusky wash on the throat and 
breast; wings and tail like the male's, but duller. $ in winter. — 
Like the female, but with black-and-white wings and tail. Im. — 
Like winter adults, but browner, the wing-markings brownish in- 
stead of white. 

Nest, a gray cup, lined with down, placed in fork from five to 
thirty feet up. Eggs, white. 

The Goldfinch is a common permanent resident of New 
England and New York. As winter approaches, flocks, 
sometimes of over fifty birds, gather together and wander 
about, feeding on the seeds of birches or on the seeds of 
weeds and grasses in neglected fields. At all seasons the 
birds are fond of the seeds of composite flowers ; a gay 
company often scatter over the lawn and feed on dandelion 
heads ; bachelor's buttons, thistles, and sunflowers also at- 
tract them. By May the males have recovered their yellow 
and black, and begun to twitter their sweet if rather char- 
acterless song. They are still in flocks, even when other 
birds are building. By June, however, they are met with 
in pairs, the dark female with the bright male, and by July 
they are building in the sugar maples or apple-trees. 

While the female is brooding the male goes swinging 
over in deep undulations, calling te tee' de de, and she 
answers with a simple te' de dee, te' de dee. When the 
male sings on the wing, he flies around in circles, with 
broad, fluttering wings, and keeping the same level ; but tlie 
ordinary flight is undulating, and in midsummer the male 
often seems to accent the curve, as if enjoying the great 
plunge through the air. The voice is always sweet ; one 
call-note is very like a call of the Canary, sicee-ec, with a 



178 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

rising inflection. The young bird, just out of the nest, 
has a peculiar call, chi-pee', a characteristic sound in late 
summer. 

Goldfinches often associate with Eedpolls and Siskins, 
when these visit southern New England, but may be dis- 
tinguished from them at all seasons by the black and 
white in the wings and tail, and by their unstreaked breasts. 
The winter plumage of the male is very different from the 
bright yellow and black of spring, but there is always a 
tinge of yellow on the throat. 



Eedpoll. Acanthis linaria 

5.32 

Ad. $ . — Crown crimson; back streaked with gray and brown; 
middle of throat blackish ; rump slightly tinged with pink ; breast 
and upper belly suffused with rose ; sides streaked with brown. 
Ad. 9 • — Similar, but no rose on rump or breast. Im. — Similar 
to 9, but without crimson crown. 

The E-edpoll is a very irregular winter visitant in south- 
ern New York and New England, often absent for periods 

of from five to ten years. 
In northern New Eng- 
land it occurs more fre- 
quently. It varies, too, 
in abundance, occurring 
at times in large flocks, 
and throughout the coun- 
try, at other times in 
small flocks, and only 
here and there. It fre- 




FiG. 53. Redpoll 



quents neglected fields, feeding on the seeds of weeds and 
grasses, or visits groves of birch, picking the seeds from the 
ripe catkins. It is often found near the sea beaches. 

The Eedpoll has a sweet call-note, almost identical with 
a note used both by the Goldfinch and by the Pine Siskin. 



WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL 



179 



It also utters, especially when flying in flocks, a rattling 
note, like the syllables tshu, tshu, tshu. 

A flock is generally composed of birds in many stages of 
plumage ; some show no red, others have only a small dark 
red cap, still others have a suffusion of rose over the breast 
as well. They may be distinguished from the Pine Siskins, 
with which they are often associated, by their grayer tone, 
by the smaller amount of streaking on the under parts, 
and by the blackish throat. 

White-winged Crossbill. Loxia leucoptera 
6.05 

Ad. $. — Head, rump, and under parts rose-red; middle of 
back black, streaked with rose ; wings and tail black ; two broad 
bars on the wing white ; tips of the mandibles crossed. Ad. ^ and 
Im. — The red of the $ replaced by gray, tinged with olive-yel- 
low, and streaked with black; rump yellow; wings and tail almost 
black; wing-bars as in male. Im. $. — Often shows stages be- 
tween the plumages of the ad. 9 and $ . 

Nest, in coniferous trees. Eggs, pale greenish, dotted about 
the larger end with brown. 

The White-winged Crossbill is a very irregular winter 
visitant in southern New York and New England, often ab- 
sent for a period 
of many years. 
In northern New 
England and in 
the Adirondacks, 
it breeds spar- 
ingly, and is a not 
infrequent win- 
ter visitant in the 
valleys. Its call- 
note is a sweet 
monosyllable, re- 
sembling the syl- 




Kic. 54. White-winded Crossbill 



180 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

lable 2^^^t' It has also a chattering note, uttered when it 
flies. Its disposition and habits are similar to those of the 
Red Crossbill, from which it may always be distinguished 
by the presence of conspicuous white iving-hars. The red 
of the adult male is a rose-red, different from the vermilion- 
red of the Eed Crossbill. 

American Crossbill ; Eed Crossbill. Loxia curvi- 

rostra 7ninor 

6.19 

Ad. $ . — Entire body dull vermilion-red, brightest on head, 
rump, and belly; wings and tail dark; tips of the mandibles 
crossed. Ad. 9 and Im. — Entire body gray, with a greenish 
wash on the breast; rump greenish-yellow. 

Nest, in coniferous trees. Eggs, pale-greenish, spotted with 
purplish-brown. 

The Red Crossbill is a common permanent resident of 
the coniferous forests of northern 'New England. A few 
Crossbills may be seen in any month of the year on the 
upland of Berkshire County, Mass., and in southern New 
Hampshire and Vermont (see map, p. 15), but in southern 
New England they are very irregular visitors, occurring 
abundantly in some winters, at other times being wholly 
absent, or appearing only as rare migrants in spring and fall. 
When they spend the winter in southern New England, 
they resort to the cone-bearing evergreens — the hemlocks, 
spruces, and pines — and feed on the seeds, hanging to the 
cones and forcing their scales apart, or later on in the season 
picking up the fallen seeds from the ground. They also 
extract the seeds from the rotten apples left on the trees. 
Like the other northern visitors they are very tame, but 
when startled often fly off to a distance. Their call-note, 
always uttered when flying, is a loud kij^kip, kip-kij^-kij:), 
very like a note made by young chickens. The song re- 
sembles the syllables too-tee', too-tee^, too-tee', tee, tee', tee. 
(See preceding species.) 



ENGLISH SPAREOW 181 

English Sparrow. Passer domesticus 
6.33 

Ad. $ . — Top of head grayish ; a patch of chestnut on each side 
of the head ; back brown, streaked with black; wiug-bars white; 
a stripe of chestnut on each wing; throat and upper breast black ; 
rest of under parts grayish-white. Ad. 9 • — Head grayish-brown ; 
back streaked with black and buff; under parts whitish; breast 
washed with grayish-brown. 

Nest, either in trees, or in a hole or corner. Eggs, generally 
white, sometimes brownish, finely speckled with brown or gray. 

The English Sparrow is now a permanent resident of 
nearly every city, town, and village in JSTew York and New 
England. Only the wilder or more hilly portions of north- 
ern New England are still free from its presence. In many- 
suburbs it occupies the boxes and holes which otherwise 
Bluebirds, Wrens, and White-bellied Swallows would use. 
It also annoys Robins by following the parents when they 
are collecting food for their young and stealing it from out 
of their bills. At night Sparrows roost in thick trees or 
vines, and in large cities collect in astonishing numbers in 
small parks. In the country small flocks often collect in 
brush-heaps. 

The Sparrow's voice is harsh, and too suggestive of the 
city to please most ears. Its ordinary note is the well-known 
cliirp, but it has an astonishingly large number of modifica- 
tions of this note. In spring, or on warm days in winter, 
the male utters a cry' like the syllables fee-leej), with a per- 
sistence worthy of a better cause. The chunkiness of the 
Sparrow, the unstreaked dingy-white breast of the female, 
and the black throat of the male, will serve to identify it to 
any one who is so fortunate as to be unacquainted with it. 

Purple Finch. Carpodaciis purpurcus 
6.22 
Ad. $. — Entire body suffused with rose-red, strongest on the 
head, rump, and throat; back streaked with brownish; belly gray- 



182 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

ish; wings and tail brownish; tail rather deeply forked. .4c?. 9 
and Im. — Upper parts grayish-brown, streaked ; under parts 
grayish, streaked with brown ; line behind eye gray. $ in first 
breeding season, like the female. 

Nest, in evergreens, five to thirty feet up. Eggs, blue, spotted 
at large end with brownish. 




Fig. 55. Purple Finch, Female 



The Purple Finch is a permanent resident of New Eng- 
land and New York, but of irregular occurrence in winter, 

sometimes very rare, often 
rather common. In south- 
ern New England and the 
lower Hudson Valley, it is 
a common migrant in April, 
and in September and Oc- 
tober, but few remain 
through the summer. In 
New England the summer 
residents arrive in April 
and stay until October. 
They are found, in winter, either in cedar groves or in hard 
wood, near groves of hop hornbeam, but they are active, rest- 
less birds, and may be heard anywhere flying overhead. In 
spring they frequent the same places, but come also to the 
evergreens about houses, and to the elms in the street, the 
swelling buds of which they bite off. In summer they build 
chiefly in conifers, and are numerous in the great northern 
forests. They utter, when flying, a single sharp ^:»iV, by which 
they may be easily identified. 

Their song is vigorous and musical, a rapid, energetic 
warble, often lengthened in the height of the mating sea- 
son to a long, passionate utterance (see Warbling Vireo, 
p. 135). The male at this season walks, or rather dances, 
about the female, with wings spread and quivering, repeat- 
ing the song in a low, pleading tone, or he flies off singing 
in the air in his loudest tones. A call-note, resembling the 



CANADIAN PINE GROSBEAK 183 

syllables pe-ivee', is given by both sexes, and it is known 
that the female occasionally sings, though often when the 
song seems to be uttered by a female, the singer is really 
a male of the preceding summer. The large bill of the 
female should distinguish her from any brown, streaked 
sparrow. 

Canadian Pine Grosbeak. Pinicola enucleator leucura 

9.08 

Ad. $. — Entire body rose-red, brightest on head and rump; 
middle of back spotted with black; wings brownish-black, with 
white wing-bars; tail brownish-black; bill short and stout; tail 
deeply forked. Ad. 9 and Im. — Top of head, rump, and some- 
times the breast, washed with saffron or reddish; rest of body 
dark gray ; wings and tail as in male. 

Nest, rather flat, of rootlets, in coniferous trees. Eggs, green- 
ish or bluish, spotted with brown. 

The Pine Grosbeak is a very irregular winter visitor in 
southern New York and New England, often absent for 
periods of several years, occasionally appearing in very 
large flocks, at other times less abundantly. The first flocks 
generally arrive in November or December, and all leave 
southern New England for the north before April. In west- 
ern and northern New England it occurs less irregularly. 
A few birds breed on the high mountains of northern New 
England and in the vicinity of the Connecticut Lakes. 
When the Pine Grosbeak visits southern New England, it is 
remarkably unsuspicious, allowing people to approach al- 
most near enough to touch it. It feeds on the fruit of 
the mountain ash, on cedar berries, on seeds of the white 
ash, and, towards spring, on the buds of pine, spruce, and 
maple. There are generally several red males in a large 
flock of grayish birds. 

The common call of the Pine Grosbeak consists of two or 
three clear whistled notes, that suggest the notes of the 
Greater Yellow-legs ; they may be written tcc-tl, tec'-tcc-ti, 



184 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAXD AXD EASTERN NEW YORK 

the last note lower than the others. They often utter a 
sharp ])eer, something like the cry of a Blue Jay ; while 
the birds are feeding they utter a low musical twitter, and, 
when flying up suddenly, a low trilled whistle. 

The size, the undulating flight, the short, stout bill, and 
the white wing-bars serve to identify the gray birds ; the 
red ones are unmistakable. 



BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, ETC. : FAMILY ICTERID-5! 

The eight members of the family Icteridae differ widely 
in appearance and habits. The two Orioles are rarely seen 
on the ground ; when they do come down, they hop. All 
the other species get their food chiefly on the ground, and 
these all walk. In four of the eight species black predomi- 
nates ; these species are gregarious, often occurring in very 
large flocks. The Orchard Oriole is found commonly only 
as far north as southern Ehode Island and Connecticut. 
The Eusty Blackbird is only a migrant in most of New 
York and New England. 

Bronzed Grackle. Quiscalus quls- 

cula ceneus . ^ -^ 

^ ^ ^ . 7 . > Crow Blackbird 

FURPLE GrRACKLE. QuiSCalus qiClS- 

cula 

12.00-13.50 

Ad. $ . — Head, neck, and upper breast iridescent purple, vio- 
let, or brassy-green in good light (at a distance the whole bird 
looks black); rest of body black, with metallic reflections; wings 
and tail bluish, violet, or purplish; tail long, middle pair of 
feathers much longer than outer pair ; eye pale yellow. Ad. 9 • — 
Similar, but browner and smaller. 

Nest, bulky, of dried grasses, etc., in trees. Eggs, greenish, 
spotted and streaked with black and brown. 

The Crow Blackbird is a summer resident throughout 
New York and New England, but in northern New England 



CROW BLACKBIRD 



185 



occurs only locally in low ground near water. It arrives 
late in February, or early in March, and stays occasion- 
ally as late as Oc- 
tober. When the 
Blackbirds first re- 
turn, they come in 
flocks, and they 
breed in commu- 
nities, preferring 
the security of 
evergreen trees for 
nesting-places. 

Here they may be seen on the tops of the trees squeak- 
ing and whistling like creaking sign-boards. When the 




Fig. 56. Bronzed Grackle 




Fig. 57. Tail of Bronzed Grackle 



186 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

male utters his song, he spreads his wings slightly and 
puffs out his feathers. When the young are in the nest, the 
female, a little smaller and duller than the male, may be 
seen walking over lawns or open places in the neighbor- 
hood, hunting for grubs or bits of refuse, and then flying to 
the nests. From all the surrounding country, lines of such 
foragers converge in the chosen grove in midsummer. 
After the young are able to fly, the breeding-places are 
deserted, and either no Grackles are to be seen or else 
very large flocks are met with, blackening the fields or 
trees. Sometimes these flocks, or migrants from the north, 
are seen late in October, and occasionally in November. 

The absence of red on the shoulder distinguishes the 
Crow Blackbird from the Red-wing, and the long, wedge- 
shaped tail, conspicuous in flight, from the Rusty Black- 
bird. This tail is often held keel-shaped, the middle 
feathers being depressed. On the ground the bird some- 
what suggests a Crow ; the gait, as in the case of all the 
blackbirds, is a walk. When Crow Blackbirds fly, their 
line of flight is level, not undulating, so that the members 
of a flock do not rise and fall as the other blackbirds do. 
Like several of the other blackbirds, it often jerks its tail 
upward when perched. 

Note. — The Crow Blackbird, iu the neighborhood of New York 
city, is the Purple Graekle {Quiscalus quiscula) ; about Boston and 
northward it is the Bronzed Graekle {Quiscalus quiscula ceneus). In 
the former the colors of the head and neck are not sharply defined from 
those of the body, as they are in the latter. In Connecticut intermediate 
races occur. The habits and notes of the two are practically the same. 

EusTY Blackbird. Scolecophagus carolinus 

9.55 

Ad. $ in spring. — Entire plumage glossy bluish-black; eye pale 
yellow or white. Ad. ^ in spring. — Slate-gray; eye as in $. Ad. 
in autumn. — Feathers of head, neck, and back tipped with rusty- 
brown; under parts buffy. 



RUSTY BLACKBIRD 187 

Nest, in trees, bulky. Eggs^ bluish-green, olive, or brownish, 
speckled and spotted with brown. 

The Kusty Blackbird (rusty only in the autumn) is a 
common migrant through New York and New England, 
from the middle of March to the first week of May, and 
again from the end of September through October, or in the 
vicinity of New York city until December. It breeds to 
some extent in the northern and extreme eastern counties 
of Maine. The Rusty Blackbird is as fond of wet places as 
the Red-wing; it is generally found in small flocks near 
marshes and at the borders of water-courses. Like the Red- 
wing, it visits to some extent the dry hillsides, particularly 
in the fall. 

When seen at a distance, and in flight, it is almost im- 
possible to distinguish between this bird and the Red-wing, 
unless the split or squeaking whistle of the Rusty is heard. 
This is its song, corresponding to the congaree of the Red- 
wing ; it is heard both in spring and fall. The species also 
has a clinch practically indistinguishable from that of the 
Red-wing, and has the same trick of jerking its tail upward 
when perched. When seen near to, the absence of any mark 
on the shoulder should distinguish the Rusty ; the tail, 
though slightly rounded, can hardly be confused wdth the 
long, extremely rounded tail of the Bronzed Grackle. The 
surest mark by which the Rusty may be distinguished from 
the Red-wing, if one can get near enough, is the white eye. 
The female might be confused with the female Cowbird, 
but in most cases the latter would not occur in the wet 
places affected by the former ; moreover the Cowbird's bill 
is shorter. The female Red-wing is heavily streaked. A 
Rusty Blackbird in autumn might be mistaken for a male 
Cowbird, but the rusty is much more widely distributed in 
the former, extending well clown the back, and the bill is 
longer and sharper. 



188 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Baltimore Oriole. Icterus galhula 
7.53 

Ad. $. — Head, throat, upper back, wings, and tail black; 
wing-feathers margined with white ; tips of outer tail-feathers 
yellow for nearly half their length ; lower back, breast, and belly, 
reddish-orange. Ad. 9- — Black of the male much duller; rump, 
breast, and belly yellow ; throat often spotted with blackish ; tail 
grayish-orange. Im. — Similar to the 9 • 

Nest, a pocket composed of tough fibres or string, hung from 
the tips of pendulous twigs, commonly of elms, or sometimes 
close to the upright stem of small trees. Eggs, white, scrawled 
with irregular lines of brown or black. 

The Baltimore Oriole is a common summer resident of 
southern and central Kew England, and the lower Hudson 
Valley. In the upland of northern 'New England and New 
York, the Oriole is confined to the village streets in the 
more settled valleys ; in the forested region of the north 
it is wholly absent. It arrives early in May, and stays till 
about the first of September. 

All through May and early June Orioles are active and 
musical, flashing through the trees and whistling, now a 
single note, now a phrase or two. By the middle of June 
the young begin to call from their hanging nest, and their 
crying is then incessant, and resembles the syllables tee' -dee- 
dee, tee' -dee-dee. Some time in July the old Orioles moult, 
and are tlien quiet and retiring; after the moult the male 
whistles again, especially early in the morning, and con- 
tinues to sing till his departure. The female during the 
mating season whistles two or three notes similar to the 
male's. Both sexes utter a long chatter when excited. The 
question is often asked whether the Oriole ever uses the 
same nest a second season. I have never observed such an 
instance, but it is a very common sight to see a new nest 
built only a few feet from the old one, or sometimes even 
the tattered remains of the nest of two years before on 
still a third twig. 



ORCHARD ORIOLE 189 

It is a common error in central 'New England to imagine 
that a dull-colored oriole seen in an orchard is the Orchard 
Oriole ; the latter occurs commonly only in southern New 
England and in the lower Hudson Valley. (See following 
species.) 

Orchard Oriole. Icterus sijurius 
7.32 

Ad. $ . — Head, throat, and upper back black ; loiver back, breast, 
and belly chestnut; wings dark brown, tail almost black. Im. $ 
in second year. — Upper parts greenish-yellow, brightest on the 
rump ; tail brown, tinged with greenish-yellow ; throat black ; 
under parts yellow. Ad. ^. — Similar to Im. $, but throat yel- 
low; back browner. 

Nest, a deep cup made of long green grass-blades, hung gen- 
erally in apple-trees ten to fifteen feet up. Eggs, bluish white, 
spotted and scrawled with black or brown. 

The Orchard Oriole is a common summer resident of 
southern Connecticut and the lower Hudson Valley ; in 
eastern Massachusetts it is a rare summer resident as far 
north as Ipswich. It is not uncommon in the valleys of the 
Connecticut and Housatonic, as far north as Springfield and 
Pittsfield, though it is far less common everywhere in Mas- 
sachusetts than the Baltimore Oriole. In northern New 
England the Orchard Oriole does not occur. It arrives early 
in May, and leaves in August. The Orchard Oriole, as its 
name suggests, frequents apple orchards, but it is often 
found in low shade- trees. 

The song is very different from that of the Baltimore 
Oriole ; it is not made up of separate whistled phrases, but 
is a definite outburst of musical notes. It recalls the rich- 
ness of the Fox Sparrow and the energy of the Purple 
Finch. The call-note of the Orchard Oriole suggests tlie 
chuck of a Blackbird ; it has also a chatter resembling that 
of the Cowbird. 

A bird in the adult plumage of chestnut and black is 



190 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

unmistakable, but the males in the second year and the 
females may be confused with female Baltimore Orioles ; 
the greenish tinge of the upper parts should distinguish the 
female Orchard Oriole, while the pure black throat of the 
young male should identify him. 

Mead OWL ARK. Sturnella magna 
10.75 

Ad. — Upper parts brown, streaked with black; line through 
crown buffy ; line from eye to bill yellow ; throat and belly 
bright yellow ; black crescent on breast ; tail-feathers short and 
narrow, outer ones loJiite. Ad. in winter. — Upper parts a redder 
brown ; black and yellow of under parts veiled with buff and 
reddish-brown. Im. — Yellow of breast much paler; black 
crescent replaced by a few dark streaks. 

Nest, on ground, of dry grass, sometimes arched over. Eggs, 
white, speckled with reddish-brown. 

In southern New England and in the lower Hudson Val- 
ley, wherever the ground is fairly free from snow, par- 
ticularly on salt marshes, the Meadowlark spends the 
winter in small flocks. The clear whistled notes of the 
bird may there be heard in every month of the year. But 
in the interior the Meadowlark is only a summer resident, 
and in northern New England it is rare or absent. It fre- 
quents wide stretches of grass-land, associating either with 
Bobolinks in rich meadows or with Grasshopper Sparrows 
in dry fields; at all seasons it is common on salt marshes. 

Its ordinary song is a clear, rather plaintive whistle, ut- 
tered from the top of a tree, or a fence, and often in the 
air; it has besides a harsh guttural chatter, and a nasal 
peent. In the breeding season the Meadowlark indulges 
occasionally in a flight-song, more prolonged, but less clear 
than its usual Avhistle. The yelloiu breast and the black 
crescent do not often show ; the bird commonly keeps his 
back to observers. The legs are long and stout, and the 
bird spends much time on the ground, where it walks. 



RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD 



191 



Though about the size of the Flicker, it can readily be 
distinguished by its flight; after a few strokes it sails a 
short distance, then repeats the few strokes, then sets its 
wings and sails again. When it flies up from the ground, 
the white outer tail-feathers are a conspicuous mark ; as 
the bird walks on the ground, its short tail is often ner- 
vously opened, so that the white feathers show. 

K/ED- WINGED Blackbird. Agelaius phoeniceus 
$ 9.51. 9 8.00 

Ad. $. — Entire plumage black, showing in flight a bright 
scarlet patch edged with buff and white, at the bend of the wing j 
often only the white edging shows when the wing is closed. Ad. 
9 and fm. — Brown, everywhere streaked ; throat often buffy. 

Nest, of grasses and weed-stalks, in a low bush or on a tussock 
of sedge. Eggs, pale blue, scrawled and spotted with dark purple 
or black. 

The Ked-winged Blackbird is a common summer resident 
of the Hudson Valley and of southern and central New 
York ; in northern ^ew 
England, especially on 
the upland, it is much 
less common. Occasion- 



ally a 
winter 



few 



Bed-wings 



in the marshes 




Fig. 58. Eed--\vine:ed Blackbird, Female 



near Boston, and may 
do so in favorable local- 
ities in southern New 
England. The male ar- 
rives early in March, 
but it is often three 

weeks before the female joins him. When the young are 
full grown, the breeding birds depart and are rarely seen 
after August. Flocks of northern migrants often arrive in 
September and linger till October, and on mild days sing 
in chorus, though without the vigor of spring. 



192 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

At first, while tlie marshes are still cold, the hillsides are 
visited by flocks of males, and here they may often be seen 
feeding on the ground with Robins, or in a noisy chorus on 
some tree near by. The song has a liquid opening-note, 
and ends in a ree or ray, long prolonged ; when uttering it, 
the male spreads his wings and shows his blazing scarlet 
epaulets. AVhen a flock are singing, the liquid notes form a 
musical undertone to the shriller ree, the whole suggesting 
the music of waters. Besides the song, the species has a 
rather heavy chuck, used as a call-note, and a long, rather 
pure whistle, constantly heard in the marshes in early sum- 
mer, and often followed by a series of staccato scolding-notes, 
and in midsummer a loud nasal dissyllabic note, suggesting 
the cry of the nighthawk. The birds are intolerant of in- 
trusion, and gather round a visitor with much expostulation. 
They also attack and escort away any large birds — hawks, 
crows, and even inoffensive bitterns. 

A male Red-wing is easily told by his scarlet wing-patch 
or even by its white edging, which shows when the wings 
are closed. A female differs from the other blackbirds in 
the heavy streaking above and below. (See Eusty Black- 
bird, p. 187.) 

CowBiRD. Molothrus ater 
$ 7.92. 9 7.50 

Ad. $ . — Head, neck, and upper breast rich brown (at a dis- 
tance the bird seems entirely black) ; rest of plumage iridescent 
black. Ad. 9 and Ln. — Entire plumage brownish-gray, un- 
streaked. 

Nest, none, the eggs being laid in the nests of other birds. 
Eggs, white, evenly speckled with brown. 

The Cowbird is a summer resident of New York and 
New England, but is rare in the hilly country of northern 
New England, and entirely absent from the unsettled forest 
regions. It arrives late in March or early in April. In late 



BOBOLINK 193 

summer or early autumn the Cowbird is either absent or 
else occurs in large flocks, which occasionally linger through 
October. Cowbirds have several times been found in New 
York and New England in winter. 

In spring flocks of two or three, or more, fly about in a 
restless fashion, and attract attention by a long, high 
whistle, followed by two shorter, lower notes. The bird's 
flight is unsteady, and it looks distinctly smaller on the 
wing than the Red-winged Blackbird, with which it often 
associates. When the flock lights on trees, the males spread 
wings and tail, lift the latter, extend the neck, and follow 
these absurd gestures by a feeble squeak. Both sexes have 
a harsh chatter. They make no nest, and by laying in the 
nest of smaller birds, force them to bring up their young. 
The young Cowbird is brownish-gray, and generally larger, 
by the time it leaves the nest, than the foster-parent that 
is feeding it. 

In summer Cowbirds are often seen following cattle 
about, walking on the ground. They can then be readily 
distinguished from the much larger Crow Blackbirds by the 
short, stout bill, by the reddish-brown head of the male, and 
by the grayish-brown females in the flock. (See under E-usty 
Blackbird, p. 187.) 

Bobolink. Dolichonyx oryzivorus 
7.25 

Ad. $ . — Nape buffy-white ; shoulders and lower back white ; 
otherwise black. Ad. '9- — Upper parts brown, streaked ; under 
parts yellowish-brown, unstreaked ; line over eye and line through 
crown huffy. $ in Augiist and Im. — Similar to female, but yel- 
lower. 

Nest, placed on the ground in some tuft of grass or weeds. 
Eggs, white, blotched with brown. 

The Bobolink is a common summer resident throughout 
New England and New York, wherever there is grass-land, 



194 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 



though absent apparently from Cape Cod, and local in the 
vicinity of New York city. It arrives early in May, and 

stays till Septem- 
ber. It breeds in 
mowing-land of 
grass or clover, and 
at the edges of 
grassy marshes. 
Here the males 
through May and 
June pour forth 
their rollicking 




song, 



either from 



Fig. 59. Bobolink, Female 



the tops of the 
neighboring trees, 
or from some bending weed, or tuft of grass. Often they 
sing in the air, either gliding with curved wings or chasing 
each other furiously over the field. About the first week in 
July the young ones leave the nest, and now the song of the 
males ceases abruptly. If one approaches the grass where 
a young one is hiding, both parents hover near, uttering a 
chuck of alarm, flying from one perch to another, spread- 
ing the tail nervously. Towards the end of July the males 
begin to lose the black-and-white plumage ; it is replaced 
by a dress similar to the female's, but yellower. About this 
time old and young gather in large flocks, which roost each 
night in the long grass of some low meadow. As they pass 
to and fro they utter a mellow chink, which is one of their 
ordinary call-notes ; this note may be heard at night in 
August and early September from migrant flocks. 

The young birds and the males in autumn may be known 
by their unstreaked yellowish under i:)avts, and by the 
huffy line over the eye ; in spring the presence of the 
brightly marked males will often help one to identify the 
plain-colored females. 



STARLING 195 



STARLINGS : FAMILY STURNID-aS 

Starling. Sturnus vulgaris 

8.50 , 

Ad. $ in summer. — Entire body black, with green and purple 
reflections ; each feather of the back tipped with grayish-yellow ; 
bill yellow. Ad. 9- — Plumage less brilliant ; buffy spots larger, 
especially below. Ad. in winter. — Spotting much more conspicu- 
ous ; light brown on upper parts, and whitish on under parts ; 
bill blackish. Im. — Grayish-brown. 

Nest, in hollow trees, or in crevices in buildings. Eggs, pale 
greenish-blue or bluish-white. 

The Starling has been introduced from Europe into 
Central Park, and has not only become well established 
there, but has spread to New Jersey, Staten Island, and 
along Long Island Sound. It is resident throughout the 
year. Starlings feed on the ground, where they walk after 
the manner of our blackbirds. In late summer and autumn 
they collect in flocks, which in Europe blacken the sky ; 
they now resort to the reeds in low ground. The male 
sings in early spring from the top of a tree, or on some build- 
ing ; some of the notes are very sweet, others are harsh, 
and many are imitations of the surrounding noises. 



CROWS, JAYS, ETC. : FAMILY CORVIDiE 

Fish Crow. Corvus ossifragus 
16.00 

Ad. — Entire bird black, with blue or purplish reflections at 
close range. 

Nest, of sticks, in trees, generally in evergreens. Eggs, like 
those of the common Crow. 

The Fish Crow is a common permanent resident of the 
lower Hudson Valley, and occurs regularly but not com- 



196 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

monly along the coast of Connecticut, as far east as Strat- 
ford. It has been taken at Sprmgfield, Mass., but is prob- 
ably very rare north of Long Island Sound ; in fact, it is 
almost always found near the sea or on large streams. 
Though the Fish Crow is smaller than the Common Crow, 
it is very difficult to distinguish it by the size alone, but its 
car is distinctive ; it is higher, more nasal, and less power- 
ful than the caiv of the common Crow. 



AMERicAisr Crow. Corvus americanus 
19.30 

Ad. — Entire bird black, with blue or purplish reflections when 
seen in strong light. 

Nest^ of sticks, in tall trees. Eggs, generally bluish-green, 
marked with brown. 

The Crow is a permanent resident of the warmer portions 
of New York and New England, but a summer resident of 
that portion only of the interior where the winter is not 
severe. Great numbers move to the coast at this season, 
and find food on the marshes and beaches. Each evening 
multitudes assemble and fly off to certain roosts several 
miles away ; in the morning they return and scatter over 
the feeding-ground. In March long trains flying northward 
show that the migration has begun. Mating begins early in 
April ; Crows are now seen pursuing each other in the air, 
turning and swooping with considerable grace. Besides the 
ordinary caw, and the many modifications of which it is 
capable, the Crow utters commonly two other striking 
notes. One is like a high-pitched laugh, ha-a-a-a-a-a • the 
other a more guttural sound, like the gobble of a turkey, 
cow cow cow. Crows have a strong antipathy towards the 
larger hawks and owls, pursuing them sometimes in great 
flocks, and cawing vehemently each time the victim makes 
an attempt to escape his noisy escort. 



NORTHERN RAVEN 197 

Northern Eaveist. Corvus corax principalis 
22.00-26.50 

Ad. — Entire bird black ; the long feathers of the throat and 
the thick bill show only at close range. 

Nest, of large sticks, lined with grass and wool, on cliffs or in 
trees. Eggs, bluish-green or olive, spotted with brown. 

The E;aven is a rare permanent resident of the coast of 
Maine, breeding on some of the small islands of Penobscot 
Bay. According to Mr. Brewster, it " regularly visits the 
interior of northern ISTew England in late autumn and win- 
ter.'' It probably still occurs in the Adirondacks. In spite 
of its greater size, it is often difficult to distinguish it from 
a Crow, unless it utters its hoarse currucJc. 

Canada Jay. Perisoreus canadensis 
12.00 

Ad. — Forehead, sides of head, and throat whitish ; hind part of 
head dusky grayish ; back gray ; tail gray, feathers tipped with 
white. Im. — Entire plumage sooty -slate. 

Nest, in coniferous trees, of twigs, bark, etc. Eggs, grayish or 
whitish, speckled with brown. 

The Canada Jay is a permanent resident of the conifer- 
ous forests of northern New England and New York. It is 
especially common in autumn, but rarely appears far south 
of central New Hampshire and Vermont ; its presence in 
Massachusetts is accidental. It is noted for its fondness for 
meat, and in winter comes boldly about the logging-camps 
in its search for scraps of refuse. It is noisy, like its rela- 
tive the Blue Jay, and has a variety of notes, many of 
which bear a strong family resemblance to its relative's. 
Its fluffy appearance and its pattern of coloration has sug- 
gested a comparison with a " magnified Chickadee " (Seton). 
The white spot on the forehead is the best recognition 
mark ; the bird has no crest. 



198 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Blue Jay. Cyanocitta cristata 
11.74 

Ad. — Upper parts grayish-blue ; head furnished with a crest, 
which is ofteu, however, depressed; wings and tail bright blue, with 
narrow black bars and broad white spots; throat gray ; collar about 
breast and neck black; lower belly white. 

Nest, placed in thick evergreen from five to twenty feet up. 
Eggs, greenish, spotted with brown. 

The Blue Jay is a common permanent resident of ISTew 
England and New York, but is most numerous in the au- 
tumn. It inhabits woodland 
of any sort, feeding in fall 
and winter on grain, acorns, 
and nuts ; in spring and sum- 
mer it lives largely on in- 
sects, but too often robs the 
nests of other birds of eggs 
or young. Though a noisy 
bird at times, a pair can be 
so silent about the nesting- 
site that the eggs will per- 
haps be laid before their 
Fig. 60. Kue Jay presence is suspected. Their 

bright contrast, too, of blue 
and white, is not nearly so conspicuous in leafy shade as 
one might expect. Jays have a habit of hopping upward 
from one branch to the next till they reach the top of a 
tree. When flying through open spaces, they keep at 
almost an exact level, and may by this peculiarity of flight 
be recognized at some distance. Jays are very vigilant and 
give notice by their screams of the presence of an intruder ; 
hawks and owls are frequently pursued by a noisy mob. 

Their notes vary greatly ; the commonest are the well- 
known strident djay cljay, a higher and more prolonged 
tee-ar tee-ar, which exactly simulates the scream of the 




PKAIRIE HOENED LARK 199 

Red-shouldered Hawk, a resonant, trumpet-like teerr Siiid 
a too-iuheedle too-iuheedle, which suggests the creaking of 
a wheelbarrow. When uttering these sounds from a perch, 
Jays open the wings, and bend the head back and forth, 
like crows when cawing. They have also, in spring, low, 
sweet crooning notes. Many good observers believe that the 
Jay imitates the cries of various hawks, such as the Broad- 
winged and the Sparrow Hawk. The fact remains that 
even where the Eed-shouldered Hawk is uncommon, the 
Jay frequently uses a note like his scream, so that it may 
be a part of his original repertoire, and not an imitation. 

LARKS : FAMILY ALAUDID-SS 

Praieie Horned Lark. Otocoris alioestris praticola 

7.25 

Ad. — Similar to the following species but smaller, the throat 
white, or only tinged with yellow ; the line over the eye pure white. 
Im. — Lacks the black and yellow about the head ; breast washed 
with brownish bufP, speckled with dusky. 

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, pale olive or pale buffy, finely but 
thickly speckled with olive-brown. 

The Prairie Horned Lark is a summer resident of north- 
eastern New York, Berkshire County, Mass., and northern 
New England. It has been found in North Adams, AVil- 
liamstown, Lanesboro, and Pittsfield in Berkshire County, 
at Hubbardston in Worcester County, and at Ipswich, 
Mass., at Franconia, Errol, and Shelburne, N. H., etc. It is 
apparently extending its range eastward, and will probably 
become commoner, and appear in new localities. It arrives 
in March and raises two broods, the first in April, the second 
in June. It frequents grassy hills or intervales, and feeds 
on tlie ground, walking or running. 

It is restless, and often flies about, uttering a sharp tsi^'' 
or tsee-de-ree. Its song is uttered either on the ground, and 



200 BIKDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YOEK 

then consists of four or five introductory tic its, followed by 
a little trill, all in a very sharp tone, or it is delivered 
after the bird has mounted, like his famous cousin, to a 
considerable height ; it is then much longer, but still sharp 
and unmusical and lacking the strength of the Skylark. 

The Prairie Horned Lark also occurs as a rare migrant 
in late October and November along the sea-coast of New 
England and New York, often in company with its relative 
the Shore Lark. It must not be confused with the small 
pale-colored females of the latter species, from which the 
pure white line over the eye will distinguish it. 



Horned Lark 



Shore Lark. 
7.75 



Otocoris alpestris 



Ad. ^. — Forehead and patch back of eye yellow; "horns," 
or tufts of feathers projecting backward from the head, black ; 
front and sides of crown, line from bill under eye along sides of 
throat and hand across upper breast black ; back of head, back, 
and rump pinkish-brown; tail dark, outer pair of feathers edged 
with white; throat yellow; belly white, sides pinkish-brown. Ad. 
9. — Similar to J, but decidedly smaller, the black much less 
pronounced; the pink tinge often wanting; throat duller. 

The Shore Lark is a common winter visitant along the sea- 
coast from October to April ; small flocks occasionally occur 

inland. Shore Larks feed in 
flocks along the flats left bare 
by the tide, and on the fields 
and hillsides, within sound of 
the surf. 

Their notes are shrill, re- 
sembling the syllables tsee, 
tsee-de-ree ; it is hard to distin- 
guish them from those of the 
Titlark, which may be found 
in the same localities in fall and 




Fig. 61. Horned Lark 



HORNED LARK 201 

spring, but not in winter. They are restless birds, flying 
high when disturbed, and passing back and forth from one hill 
to another, so that their notes are often heard high in air. 
On the ground they run or walk ; in the air their wings look 
long and pointed. The '^ horns " show as little tufts of elon- 
gated feathers projecting backward on each side of the head. 
The females are smaller, the yellow of their throats is 
duller, but they may be distinguished at very close range 
from the inland Prairie Horned Lark by the white eyebrow 
of the latter. Shore Larks are often associated with Snow 
Buntings, but may be known by their heavy square-shoul- 
dered build, the yellow throat, and the black markings 
which include it. 

FLYCATCHERS : FAMILY TYRANNID^ 

Nine Flycatchers occur as summer residents in some parts 
of New York and New England. Four or five are commonly 
distributed throughout the whole region ; these are the 
Phoebe, the Kingbird, the Least" Flycatcher, and the Wood 
Pewee, all of which are fairly common, and the Crested Fly- 
catcher, which is locally common, but in many places rare or 
absent. In the lower Hudson Valley, the Green-crested Fly- 
catcher occurs as a summer resident ; in northern New York 
and New England, the Alder and the Olive-sided Flycatchers 
occur as fairly common summer residents. The Yellow- 
bellied Flycatcher is a summer resident of high mountains, 
and of the damp forests of northern New York and New 
England. All the Flycatchers sit more or less on exposed 
perches, in an upright position, with the tail held nearly 
straight down. From this station they fly out after passing 
insects, and then return to the same perch or another. INIany 
of them during the breeding season are of a rather overbear- 
ing disposition, constantly wrangling with other birds that 
come near their nesting haunts. 



202 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTEEN NEW YORK 

Least Flycatcher ; Chebec. Emjndonax minimus 
5.41 

Ad. — Upper parts olive-greeu, tinged with brownish; wing- 
bars ash-white ; under parts whitish, with a slight tinge of yellow 
on the belly. 

Nest, a neat gray cup, often in a crotch from twenty to thirty 
feet up. Eggs, white. 

The Chebec is very common throughout New York and 
New England, except in the less cultivated districts of 
northern New England and New York, where it is chiefly 
confined to the villages and the neighborhood of tilled fields, 
its place being taken in the wilder regions by the Alder 
Flycatcher. It arrives late in April, and in eastern Massa- 
chusetts is rarely seen after the end of August. It breeds in 
apple orchards, edges of woodland, in fact, wherever trees 
are separated by slight open spaces in which it can hunt. It 
sits on some fairly exposed perch, in the manner character- 
istic of flycatchers, and makes constant sallies into the air, 
down over the grass, or even against the trunks of trees. 

The male in spring and early summer is a constant singer, 
snapping out the syllables se-bic', w^ith a violent jerk of his 
head and a quiver of the tail. Both sexes, after alighting, 
often utter a little gurgling note, and quiver wings and tail. 
The call-note is 'ivhit. Just before dusk the male often flies 
up from some tree near the nest, and delivers a flight-song, 
in w^hich the call-note, whit, and the ordinary song, se-bic', 
are repeated many times. (See also following species.) 

Alder Flycatcher. Empidonax traillii alnorum 
6.09 

Ad. — Upper parts dark olive-green, often with a tinge of 
brown ; under parts white, washed with yellowish on the helly ; 
luing-bars hroiunish-gray . 

Nest, in crotch of small bush near the ground, made of coarser 
material than the Chebec's. Eggs, spotted. 






^i!' i- 




/^c/// ^f^/ij^'^^ 



LEAST FI,Vt\\'l\llKR 



GREEN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER 203 

The Alder Flycatcher has been found breeding in northern 
New Jersey, in northwestern Connecticut, and in eastern 
Massachusetts, but outside the Canadian Zone it occurs 
chiefly as a regular but rare migrant late in May or very 
early in June. From the edge of the Canadian area north- 
ward it is a rather common summer resident, frequenting 
alder thickets along streams and swampy places, as well as 
wet clearings and ill-drained hillsides. 

Its song is like the syllables qui-dee', ending with a 
marked ee instead of the sharp ic of the Chebec. The 
singer either mounts an exposed perch, where he may be 
seen jerking his head violently, or as often sings concealed 
in the leafy twigs. Where the birds are common, the song 
is heard as late as the first week in August, but it is not 
regular after the middle of July. The call-note is a sharp 
pip. 

Its appearance in the field is so like the Least Flycatcher 
that only a very well-trained eye can distinguish the two 
species. The notes, however, of the two are very unlike ; 
the marked diff'erence in habitat, moreover, should make it 
comparatively easy to separate the two species in the breed- 
ing season. 

Green-crested Flycatcher. Emindonax virescens 
5.75 

Ad. — Upper parts dark gray; back tinged in strong light 
with greenish ; loing-hai's buff or huffy-ivliite ; under parts white, 
tinged with sulphur-yellow, shaded on the breast with grayish or 
greenish. 

Nest, on a limb, from four to twenty feet up, shallow, pensile, 
of rootlets, grass, and plant stems, loosely put together. Eggs, 
creamy-white, spotted with brown. 

The Green-crested Flycatcher is a locally common sum- 
mer resident in the lower Hudson Yalloy as far north as 
Sing Sing, and in New Jersey as far north as riaintield, 



204 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

but occurs in New England only as an accidental visitor. 
It arrives in May^ and generally leaves in August. It fre- 
quents woodland and orchards, especially in the neighbor- 
hood of small streams. The sharp call-note, queejo, and the 
song, which Bendire writes luick-u'p' and Chapman pee-e- 
yuh', are characteristic ; these notes, the larger size, and 
the buffy wing-bars distinguish the Green-crested from the 
Least Flycatcher. 

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Empidonax flaviventris 

5.63 

Ad. — Dark olive-green above; wing-bars whitish; entire under 
parts yelloioish, brightest on the belly, shaded with olive on throat, 
breast, and sides. 

Nest, sunk in mossy bank, or " among the earth-laden roots of 
a fallen tree " (Brewster). Eggs, white, marked with reddish- 
brown, chiefly at the larger end. 

The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is a rare migrant in eastern 
New England, and, like the Alder Flycatcher, appears very 
late in May or early in June, and again in August and early 
September. In western New England and in the Hudson 
Valley it is not rare, but it is often silent and of a retiring 
disposition, frequenting low woods and swampy places. On 
the higher Catskills and the mountains of northern New 
England and in the great spruce forests of Maine, where 
the ground is deep with a feathery moss (Hypnum), the 
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is a fairly common resident. 
Here, too, it is shy and retiring, but its notes differ from 
those of the other small Flycatchers, and assist in its iden- 
tification. Its call-note is like the syllables ti-pee'-a, and 
resembles closely a note of the Wood Pewee ; its absurd 
little song, like the syllables pe-2vick, is uttered almost as a 
monosyllable. 

Its great similarity in appearance to the other little fly- 
catchers, the Least and the Alder, should make a student 



WOOD PEWEE 205 

very careful in identifying it ; the distinctly yellowish tinge 
over the entire under parts distinguishes it. 

Wood Pewee. Contopus virens 
6.53 

Ad. — Upper parts dark brownish-gray; two ivhite wing-bars ; 
under parts whitish, the sides washed with dark gray. 

Nest, flattish, saddled on a limb, twenty to forty feet up, exqui- 
sitely decorated with a green lichen. Eggs, white, with a ring of 
dark markings about the larger end. 

The Wood Pewee is a rather common summer resident 
of New York and 'New England. It arrives in May, and 
leaves toward the end of September. It is a characteristic 
bird of open woodland groves or the tall shade-trees of vil- 
lage streets and plantations. It sits on the ends of dead 
limbs, usually in the shade of the upper branches, and darts 
out at passing insects, returning, after its sally, to the same 
perch or to a neighboring limb. The ordinary drawled ijce- 
a-wee pee-a is to be distinguished, on the one hand, from 
the pure phee-bee of the Chickadee and the rather hoarse 
phee' -lui oi t\\Q Phoebe. Toward the middle of August the 
full song is rarely heard, and the common note is a shorter 
pee'-a, which must not be confused in northern New Eng- 
land with the call-note of the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, 
The bird utters beside a low cJiit, and about the nest an 
excited chitter. 

The long-drawn song, when given, distinguishes the Wood 
Pewee from any of the other Flycatchers, but when the bird 
is silent it may be confused either with the Phoebe or with 
the Chebec. It may be distinguished from the former by its 
smaller size and by its well-marlzed wlng-hars ; moreover, 
it never flirts its tail after the manner of the Phoebe. It is 
considerably larger than the Chebec, and, when it faces an 
observer, the middle of its breast shows a light line sepa- 
rating the darker sides. 



206 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Olive-sided Flycatcher. Nuttallornis horealis 
7.39 

Ad. — Upper parts dark olive-gray and brown ; under parts 
dark brownish on the sides, with a whitish stripe down the middle; 
no wing-barSy except in young birds ; two white cottony tufts on 
the flank, which show in flight. 

Nest, placed on a limb of an evergreen, twenty or thirty feet up. 
EggSy white, with dark spots. 

The Olive-sided Flycatcher breeds here and there in the 
hill country of Berkshire and Worcester counties in Massa- 
chusetts, not uncommonly in portions of Cape Cod, and 
regularly in the Canadian Zone. It is a rare migrant through 
eastern New England, in late May and early June ; in west- 
ern New England and the Hudson Valley it is less rare. 

On the higher Catskills and the Adirondacks, and in 
northern New England, wherever the woodsman or a forest 
fire has left tall dead trees, the wild call of this bird may be 
heard. The birds fly from the tops of the tall stubs, some- 
times almost straight up, or circle about, and light again on 
another perch.' The song is loud, and resembles the syllables 
pi-pee', or pip, pi-pee\ The call heard constantly, even in 
August, when the song is infrequent, is a loud pip, pip-pip, 

Phcebe ; Bridge Pewee. Sayornis phoebe 
6.99 

Ad. — Upper parts grayish-brown ; head dark brown; no con- 
spicuous wing-bars; throat and breast grayish; belly pale yellow- 
ish ; sides dark. Im. — Wing-bars more distinct, and the under 
parts yellower. 

Nest, composed largely of moss, placed on a beam or rafter in 
a shed or under a bridge, and in less settled regions on a ledge of 
rock. 

The Phoebe is a common summer resident throughout 
New York and New England. It arrives late in March or 
early in April, and lingers into October. It is common about 



CEESTED FLYCATCHER 207 

farm-buildings, sitting often on the ridgepole, but it also 
shows a marked fondness for the neighborhood of water. 

The name Phoebe suggests the song, phee'-iui or i^hee^- 
wi-wi, hoarser than the pure whistle of the Chickadee, and 
with much more snap than the drawling note of the Wood 
Pewee. The Phoebe has also a chip, and about its nest a 
curious chattering cry. It raises two broods in the northern 
states, and the song is therefore heard well into July ; after 
the moult in late summer the song is often heard again. In 
early spring the Phoebe occasionally utters a flight-song, 
beginning with whits and running into 2:)hoehes rapidly 
repeated. 

The sideivays siueep of the tail is a characteristic action 
by which the bird may always be identified ; in the old birds 
the absence of wing-bars also serves to distinguish it from the 
Wood Pewee. Young birds have dull wing-bars, but they 
cannot refrain long from making a suggestive movement 
of the loose-hung tail. 

Crested Flycatcher. MyiarcJms crinitus 
9.01 

Ad. — Head dark brown above; back olive-brown; tail in flight 
nearly as reddish as a Brown Thrasher's ; wing-bars brownish- 
white; throat and breast ashy; belly sulphur-yelloio. 

Nest, in holes in trees. Eggs, white, with dark streaks. 

The Crested Flycatcher is a summer resident throughout 
New York and New England, but is absent from the forest 
region of northern New England and New York, except 
along the great water-courses. It is much commoner in 
Connecticut than in Massachusetts, where it is absent from 
many localities. It arrives early in May, and remains till 
September, but, like most of the flycatchers, is rather silent 
in August. It frequents orchards and woodland, breeding in 
holes in trees, generally using a piece of cast snake-skin in the 
material of the nest. 



208 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YOEK 

It has a very strong, harsh voice, and soon makes its pre- 
sence known by its characteristic calls ; one of these is a 
hoarse, long-drawn iDlieep ; another is a lower ivhip whip 
whip, and a third a guttural, rattling cry. It frequents the 
tops of tall trees, and seems to get much of its food without 
the sallies into the air characteristic of the rest of the family. 
The crest is not nearly so prominent as in the Jay or Cedar- 
bird ; the loose feathers on the head are partially erected. 
The loud, harsh notes first call attention to the bird, and 
the peculiar coloring of the under parts — ashy, yellow, and 
reddish-brown — should distinguish it when seen from 
below. 

Kingbird. Tyr annus tyr annus 
8.51 
Ad. — Top of head blackish, with a concealed crest of orange- 
red; back gray; wings brown; tail black, tipped with white; under 
parts white, washed with grayish across the breast. Im. — Tip of 
tail and breast tinged with pale brownish-bufE. 

Nest, rather bulky, either in trees from ten to thirty feet up, 
or in bushes near water. Eggs, white, spotted with reddish-brown. 

The Kingbird is a common summer resident throughout 
New York and New England, except in heavily forested 
regions. It arrives early in May, and is rarely seen after the 
first of September. It occurs wherever there are trees sur- 
rounded by open country, either in orchards or open farm- 
ing land, or along streams. From the top of a tree, from a 
mullein stalk, or a telegraph wire, it watches the air round 
about, and makes sallies after passing insects. As it returns 
to its perch, it spreads its broad fan-shaped tail, showing the 
white tips of the black feathers. 

The Kingbird is notorious for its habit of pursuing crows 
and hawks, darting at them from above with vicious jabs, 
often following them for a long distance, and returning at 
last with a shrill kip-per, Mp-per. Its mating performance 



RUBY-THEOATED HUMMINGBIRD 209 

consists in flying upward, and then tumbling suddenly in 
the air, repeating the manoeuvre again and again, all the time 
uttering its shrill cry. During the nesting season, the male 
may often be seen on a conspicuous perch near the nest, and 
when the young are being fed, one parent flies out to meet 
the one that is bringing food, and welcomes it noisily. 

The flight of the Kingbird is steady and at about the same 
level. The orange-red crest-feathers are generally concealed 
by their blackish tips, but in the mating season, or under the 
influence of anger, they flare out. The black tail, broadly 
tixjped ivith ivhite, and the ivhite under parts make the 
Kingbird an easy bird to identify, even from a car window. 



GOATSUCKERS, SWIFTS, HUMMINGBIRDS, 
ETC. : ORDER MACROCHIRES 

HUMMINGBIRDS : FAMILY TROCHILID^ 

EUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD. TrOcMluS ColuhnS 

3.74 

Ad. $. — Chin black, rest of throat, when seen from in front, 
intense crimson changing to golden red, but from the side appar- 
ently without color ; rest of lower parts dusky-whitish ; upper 
parts bright green. Ad. 9- — Throat whitish; otherwise as in 
male. 

Nest, of plant-down, saddled on a limb, the outside covered 
with lichen. Eggs, two, white. 

The Knby-throated Hummingbird is a rather common 
summer resident of New York and New England, arriving 
in May, and leaving in September. The neighborhood of 
flowers, particularly red flowers, attracts this insect-like 
bird ; columbine, nasturtium, trumpet-vine, scarlet honey- 
suckle, monarda, and jewel-weed are particular favorites. 
Contrary to the general notion, the Hummingbird often 
perches eitlier on a dead twig or on a telegraph wire ; as it 



210 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTEEN NEW YORK 

sits, the long needle-like bill appears out of all proportion 
to the size of the tiny creature. Hummingbirds are very- 
fearless, and will frequently fly about a bunch of some 
favorite flower, though held in the hand ; they are also 
very irritable, constantly pursuing each other with excited 
squeaking. The male often poises in mid-air, and then with 
a sudden ■ downward rush executes an arc, rising to the 
same height, then swinging back to the former station. The 
female alone is said to attend to all the duties of nest-build- 
ing and the care of the young, which she feeds by thrusting 
her bill far down into their throats. 

There is only one species of Hummingbird in eastern 
North America, but the male alone has the ruby throat. 
Certain sphinx moths, poising before the flowers in the 
afternoon, are often mistaken for hummingbirds. 

SWIFTS: FAMILY MICROPODID-ffi 

Chimney Swift. Chcetura pelagica 
5.43 

Ad. — Entire bird sooty-brown, palest on throat ; wings long 
and narrow; tail either cigar-shaped, or, when spread, fan-shaped. 

Nest, a shallow platform of sticks glued to the inside of a 
chimney. Eggs, white. 

The Chimney Swift is an abundant summer resident 
throughout New England and New York. It arrives to- 
Avard the end of April or early in May, and leaves toward 
the end of August ; small flocks, presumably migrants from 
farther north, are often seen, particularly along the valleys 
of large rivers, till late in September. 

The nest is made of short twigs broken off by the bird 
while flying. It is a moot point whether the bill or the feet 
are used for this purpose. These twigs are glued together 
and to the bricks in the chimney by saliva, and form a shal- 
low platform on which the eggs are laid. In northern New 




/gai^ Cf/tcrf't ^u^rTef. 



CMIIMNKV SWIFT 



CHIMNEY SWIFT 211 

England and New York the Swift still builds occasionally 
in hollow trees, as all its ancestors once did, or '^ on the 
inner walls of barns and outbuildings" (Brewster). Eain 
sometimes loosens the nest, which then falls to the bottom. 
The young, when fed, keep up an energetic crying, easily 
heard through the walls of the chimney. 

The Swift's common note is either a loud staccato chii), 
chip, chip, or the same notes run rapidly together. This 
chippering, heard from little groups high overhead, is often 
the first intimation of the bird's presence in spring, and it 
is continued constantly till mid-July, then less frequently 
or only rarely till the bird's departure. 

Chimney Swifts resemble swallows in their appearance on 
the wing and in their manner of feeding, but may be distin- 
guished after a little practice by the appearance of the tail, 
which is short and cigar-shaped, or fan-shaped when spread, 
but never notched, forked, or square. Their flight, too, is 
characteristic ; they alternate rapid bat-like strokes of the 
wings with periods when they glide with their wings curved 
in a long narrow crescent. Just before descending into a 
chimney and often when two are flying together they raise 
their wings at an angle over the body and keep them so for 
an instant. As a rule they hawk high, sometimes very high, 
but occasionally they fly low over grass, and they commonly 
fly low over water. Swallows frequently light on wires and 
twigs, but Swifts, as far as I know, have never been seen 
to perch. At night, and in the heat of the day, they cling 
to the rough bricks inside the chimney, supporting them- 
selves with the help of the needle-like tips of their tail- 
feathers. Marvelous tales are told by the older writers of 
enormous numbers of Swifts which resorted nightly to 
certain well-known hollow trees to roost. It is still pos- 
sible to see several hundred oatherino- about some tall 
deserted chimney down which they vanish at the approach 
of dusk. 



212 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 



NIGHTHAWKS, WHIP-POOR-WILLS, ETC.: 
FAMILY CAPRIMULGIDiE 

There is a belief common among country people that the 
Nighthawk and Whip-poor-will are one and the same bird ; 
it is probably due to the fact that the latter is so rarely 
seen, and so constantly heard. 

NiGHTHAWK. Cliordeiles virginianus 
10.00 

Ad. $ . — Entire upper parts, when seen near to, black, finely 
speckled with gray, and a little brown; middle pair of tail-feathers 
like back, the others tipped with black and crossed near the tip 
by a white band; a bj'oad hand of white across the throat ; breast 
black, speckled with gray; belly gray, barred with black, often 
tinged with buff ; wings long and narrow ; a broad white bar crosses 
the wing, showing best from below. Ad. 9 . — Similar, but throat- 
band buff instead of white ; no white on tail. 

Eggs, laid on bare rocks or gravel roofs, dull white speckled 
with gray or brown. 

The Nighthawk is a summer resident throughout New 
England and New York, common in some localities, rare 
or absent in others. It arrives in 
May and leaves for the south to- 
ward the end of August, when 
large flocks of Nighthawks are 
often seen passing overhead, par- 
ticularly along broad river valleys ; 
it is occasionally seen in Septem- 
ber. 

Fig. 62. Niglitliawk n • i v. ^i i. ^v. 

Curiously enough, though the 

suburbs of many of our large cities are no longer wild 
enough to offer the Nighthawk proper breeding-sites, it has 
found the flat gravel-covered roofs of the cities themselves 
suitable for nesting-sites, while the air about supplies it 
with an abundance of food. The Nighthawk is a not un- 




NIGHTHAWK 213 

common sight over the streets of Boston and New York, and 
its harsh pee7it is a common sound. Outside the cities it 
breeds on rocky hillsides, or in wild pastures, laying its 




Fig. 63. Wing of Nighthawk 

two eggs on flat rocks or bare spots where their speckles of 
gray or brown harmonize with the surrounding stones and 
lichens. In the breeding season the male dives down from 
a considerable height, and as he nears the ground turns off 
and up in an abrupt curve ; at the same time he manages 
to produce, probably with his wings, a loud and peculiar 
booming sound. The neighborhood of water attracts Night- 
hawks, as it does the swallows, and doubtless for the same 
reason. They may be seen hawking high over the river 
valleys, their long wings carrying them forward with ap- 
parent deliberation, though constant, quick upward strokes, 
or rapid turns to either side, betray the ceaseless search 
for insect food. Their size, when thus feeding, distin- 
guishes them from any sAvallow and from the Swift ; they 
are often taken for small hawks, but they may be always 
recognized by the bar of ivhite across the tuing, which 
shows best from below. Occasionally one may be seen 
perched lengthivise along a limb or a fence-rail. (See fol- 
lowing species.) 

Whip-poor-will. Antvostomus voclferus 

9.75 

Ad. $ . — Upper parts a mixture of black, gray, and yoUowish- 
browii, no tvhite ; wings barred with black and yellowish-brown ; 
throat black ; upper breast black, crossed by a narrate tchite 




214 BIKDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

land; rest of under parts buff, speckled with black; middle tail- 
feathers like back, the three outer pairs with the terminal half 
white. Ad. 9- — Similar, but band across breast buff, and outer 
tail-feathers narrowly tipped with buffy white. 

Eggs, creamy- white, spotted with lilac or lavender, laid in dry 
leaves on the ground in woods. 

The Whip-poor-will is a locally common summer resident 
throughout ]N"ew York and New England, arriving late in 

April or early in May, and 
staying into September. It is 
a bird of the woodland, espe- 
cially along streams or at the 
edges of farming-land, and has 
become scarce in many locali- 
ties, as the woodland has given 
way to cultivated ground. It 

„, ^, . .„ spends the day in dense thick- 

FiG. 64. Whip-poor-will ^ "^ 

ets or in deep woods, on the 

ground or on low limbs, and if surprised in such a place it 

flutters oif as if bewildered, but with noiseless flight. 

The song of the Whip-poor-will begins at dusk, is heard 
at intervals all night long, and regularly before dawn ; it 
is often repeated a hundred times in rapid succession. If 
the song is heard at close range, it is found to begin with 
an introductory chuck. During midsummer the song is less 
frequently heard, but on the breeding-ground it is repeated 
a few times nearly every night, even in September. 

By those who live surrounded by woods, the Whip-poor- 
will is not infrequently seen sitting at dusk on the ridge- 
pole of some shed, or flying about engulfing moths and 
beetles in its cavernous mouth. Its relative the Night- 
hawk is much more often seen by day, roosting on some 
limb, fence-rail, or rock. Both lie lengthwise on the limb, 
but the Whip-poor-will has a white or buff'y band on the 
upper breast^ while the Nighthawk has one on the throat. 



WHIP-POOR-WILL 215 

The Whip-poor-will has conspicuous bristles about the bill, 
has no ivhite bar on the wing, and has the entire plumage 
much speckled with yellowish-brown. The Whip-poor-will 
has a rounded tail, and the outer feathers end for a greater 
or less length in white or buff ; the Nighthawk has a forked 
tail tipped with black and crossed in the male near the tip 
by a white band. 



WOODPECKERS, ETC. : ORDER PICI 

^VOODPECKERS : FAMILY PICIDiE 

Eight species of Woodpecker occur in New York and 
New England. Only two, however, the Downy and the 
Flicker, are common residents throughout this area. The 
Hairy Woodpecker is very similar to the Downy, and is 
generally confined to regions w^hich have a certain amount 
of good-sized timber, while the Pileated Woodpecker lives 
only in deep forests. The Sapsucker breeds in northern 
New York and New England, and occurs as a migrant 
elsewhere. The Red-headed Woodpecker occurs only in 
southern and western New England and in eastern New 
York. The two Three-toed Woodpeckers are confined to 
the forests of northern New York and New England. The 
habitual resorts of all Woodpeckers are the trunks and 
large limbs of trees, though, except in the breeding season, 
the Flicker is nearly as often seen on the ground, Avhere 
it feeds on ants, as on trees, to which it resorts chiefly as a 
perch. AYoodpeckers all fly in great undulations, holding 
their wings close to the body for an instant, then rising 
by means of two or three more strokes. Most of the Wood- 
peckers feed on the larvae of borers which they extract from 
the trunks or limbs of trees ; they are, therefore, permanent 
residents. The Sapsucker, however, and Flicker are not 
adapted to feed on borers, and are therefore migrants. 



216 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Northern Flicker ; Golden-winged Woodpecker. 

Colcvptes auratiis luteus 

12.00 

Ad. $. — Head grayish-brown, a scarlet baud across nape of 
neck ; back brown, barred with black ; wings and tail black ; 
shafts and under sides of icings and tail-feathers golden-yellow ; 
rump white ; throat pinkish-brown ; line along side of throat and 
band across upper breast black ; rest of under parts buffy, 
marked with round black spots. Ad. 9 • — Similar, but without 
the black line along the side of the throat. 

Nest^ in a hole in a dead limb. Eggs, white. 

Near the sea-coast, from Massachusetts southward, and in 
the lower Hudson Valley, the Flicker is not uncommon in 




Fig. 65. Northern Flicker 

winter. In the rest of New England it is only a summer 
resident, common everywhere except in the northern 
heavily-forested regions. The migrants return in March or 
April, and are then extremely noisy ; their loud wick ivick 
wick wick is one of the characteristic sounds of a bright 
spring morning. This is generally the cry of the male only, 
who also delivers at this season a tattoo on a resonant limb, 
which may often be heard in the pauses of the loud call. 



NORTHERN FLICKER 217 

The ordinary call-note of the Flicker is a high-pitched 
ti-err, often confused by beginners with the tee7^ of the 
Blue Jay. The Flicker's note is sharper, less prolonged, 
and has a marked downward inflection ; it is, moreover, 
usually given but once, or repeated only after a little in- 
terval, whereas the Jay generally screams two or three 
times in quick succession. 

When two or more birds come together, the males spread 
wings and tail, bowing and turning, while both sexes utter 
a note, like the syllables yuck'-a yuck'-a yuck'-a. At such 
a time the full beauty of the plumage is displayed, the 
large black dots on the breast, the red band on the ashy 
nape, the black collar on the breast, and the black mus- 
taches of the male. Ordinarily, however, the bird looks 
merely brown. When uttering the long, loud call, the male 
often perches across a large twig or small limb, but as a 
rule he alights on the upright trunk of a tree after the 
fashion of other Woodpeckers. In spring and summer 
Flickers spend much time on the ground, feeding on ants ; 
and in autumn they eat greedily of black cherries. 

The eggs are laid in a hole excavated by the birds, gen- 
erally in a dead limb, with a large circular opening. The 
same nest is often used over and over. If one raps on the 
trunk of a tree so occupied in May, the startled female often 
appears for an instant in the opening and then hurries off. 
At such a time, when the bird flies directly overhead, the 
golden under sides of the wing and tail-feathers show ; or- 
dinarily, the Flicker is readily identified by its size and pecu- 
liar flight (see Woodpeckers, p. 215) and by the wh Itc rump, 
which shows as it flies from one group of trees to the next. 

Red-headed Woodpecker. Ilelaiie^pes eryfIiroce2)JiaIi(s 

9.75 
Ad. — Whole head and upper hreast crunson : upper back, wing-s, 
and tail bluish-black ; lower back, wide hand across winq, and 



218 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

belly white ; outer tail-feathers tipped with white. Im. — Head 
and breast gray, streaked with black ; black of back veiled with 
gray; white in wing barred with black ; belly white, streaked 
with grayish-brown. 

Nest, in a hole, in a tree. Eggs, white. 

The Red-headed Woodpecker is a permanent resident of 
New York, and along the valley of Lake Champlain in 




f^m 



Fig. 66. Red-lieaded Woodpecker 
(From Biological Survej', U. S. Department of Agriculture) 

Vermont. In the latter region it is not uncommon, but in 
the lower Hudson Valley and about New York city it is 
generally rare, though occasionally common as a migrant. 
In eastern New England it is only an accidental visitor. 
The Red-headed Woodpecker is fond of open groves, and 
is often seen flying from fence-posts in pastures which 
contain trees. Its common note is almost identical with 
the gm^r of the tree-toad. 



NOETHERN PILEATED WOODPECKER 219 

The term Red-headed Woodpecker is commonly misap- 
plied to various Woodpeckers ; the Flicker, the male 
Downy, and the Hairy, all have a red patch on the back of 
the head, while the Sapsucker either has the crown red, or 
both the crown and throat red. In the adult Red-headed 
Woodpecker, however, not only the whole head and throat 
are red, but the upper breast as well. When it flieSj it 
shows a striking contrast of white with glossy black. 

Northern Pileated Woodpecker. Ceophloeus pileatus 

abieticola 

17.00 

Ad. $ . — Entire plumage apparently black; throat, two stripes 
on side of head, one on side of neck, and a bar on the wing, 
white; whole top of head bright scarlet, the feathers forming a 
crest; stripe along the cheek red. Ad, 9* — Similar, but only 
the crest scarlet. 

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white. 

The Pileated Woodpecker, Logcock, or Woodcock, as 
the lumbermen call it, is a permanent resident of those por- 
tions of northern New York and New England that are still 
heavily forested ; elsewhere in New York and New England 
it is a rare straggler. It is a mighty hewer of wood, leaving 
signs of its activity in nearly every decaying tree and on many 
sound ones in its neighborhood. Where it digs for grubs, it 
cuts out great square mortise-like holes, different from the 
round nesting-holes of woodpeckers in general. These 
holes often run deep into the tree, or run into each other 
up and down the trunk. The noise of its hammering 
resounds through the woods like the blows of a woodman's 
axe. Its call, or cackling, frequent in spring, suggests that 
of the Flicker, but is wilder and louder. 

Its flight is undulating, and this, with the white patch 
and scarlet crest, will easily identify it when flying ; when 
against the trunk of a tree it is, of course, unmistakable. 



220 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus varius 
8.56 

Ad. $. — Crown and throat crimson, edged with black; line 
from bill under eye white ; back and wings black, everywhere 
speckled with white ; broad stripe from shoulder along edge of wing 
white ; middle tail-feathers barred with white ; upper breast 
black; belly yellowish. Ad. 9- — Similar, but throat white. 
Im. — Crown blackish; throat whitish; breast gray, with blackish 
bars. 

Nesty in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white. 

In the Canadian Zone the Sapsucker is a common sum- 
mer resident ; elsewhere in New England and New York it 




Fig. 67. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 

is a migrant, passing north in April, and returning in late 
September and early October. It is occasionally found in 
winter in the lower Hudson Valley. On migration it is 
found in apple orchards, open groves, and not infrequently 
on shade trees about the houses. The Sapsucker breeds 
in Massachusetts only on Mount G-reylock, and there but 
sparingly ; but on the upland of Vermont, in northern and 
central New Hampshire, in the Adirondacks, and in the 
Maine woods, it breeds commonly. 

Each pair have a " sugar orchard '^ of maple or birch, 
to which they resort constantly to drink the sap ; in order to 



YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER 221 

obtain it they drill small holes in successive rows, which 
often completely encircle the tree. Here they may be found 
clinging to the trunk, which is already riddled with holes 
and perhaps dying. About them fly hummingbirds, bees, 
and butterflies, attracted by the sweet liquid. Por a long 
time there was doubt as to their object in drilling the holes, 
many believing it was to attract insects. Mr. Bolles ('^Auk,'^ 
vol. viii. p. 256) has shown that while insects do form a 
considerable part of their food, their chief object in drill- 
ing the holes is to get the sap. They also eat pieces of 
one of the inner layers of the bark. Nearly every old 
apple-tree gives evidence in its numerous rings of the vis- 
its of the Sapsucker. The young Mobile in the nest are 
fed on insects, which the Sapsuckers often take on the 
wing. 

On the breeding ground the Sapsucker is noisy, uttering 
a squealing cry like a Jay's or Red-shouldered Hawk's, but 
more subdued ; it also drums on resonant bark loud enough 
to be heard at a considerable distance. While migrating 
however it rarely utters a sound, and it is only when the 
eye catches sight of its rather stout body, pitching from one 
tree to the trunk of the next, that attention is called to it. 
If it is an adult, the crimson crown extending over the 
forehead serves to identify it. The speckled back and the 
stripe of white which shoius along the black wing, even 
when the wing is closed, serve to distinguish the young 
bird. 

American Three-toed Woodpecker. Picoides 

americaniis 

8.75 

Ad. $. — Similar to the following species, except the top of 
the head, which is more or less mixed with white, and the back, 
which is crossed by narrow white bars. Ad. 9- — Similar to $, 
but without the yellow crown-patch. 

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white. 



222 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YOKK 

The American Three-toed Woodpecker '^ has practically 
the same range in New England as [the following species, 
but] it is in most places very much less numerous. Among 
the White Mountains, however, and about the sources of 
the Connecticut River, it is not so very uncommon for a 
bird of its solitary and retiring disposition" (Brewster). 

This species occurs south of its breeding-range far less 
often than the following, from which it may be distin- 
guished by the narrow bars of white across its back. 

Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. Ficoides arcticus 

9.50 

Ad. $. — Top of head black, with yellow crown-patch; back 
black ; stripe on side of bead white, bordered beneath by a black 
line; wings black, spotted with white; middle tail-feathers black, 
the outer feathers white. Ad. 9« — Similar, but without the 
yellow crown-patch. 

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white. 

The Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker is " a rather common 
but somewhat local resident of the wilder and more heavily 
timbered portions of northern New England, whence it 
sometimes wanders southwards in autumn and winter" 
(Brewster). It is rare south of the White Mountains, the 
Adirondacks, and the forests of Maine, though stragglers 
are occasionally found in autumn and winter as far south 
as Connecticut. Its notes are loud and shrill, and are often 
uttered as the bird flies. 

The plain black back serves to distinguish it from any 
other small woodpecker. The white stripe on the side of 
the head is also a help to identification, the corresponding 
mark on the American Three-toed Woodpecker being a mere 
line. Mrs. Eckstorm, in " The Woodpeckers," says that 
she has found this to be the best field-mark of this species. 
Adult males of both this species and the preceding have 
conspicuous yellow patches on the crown. 



DOWNY WOODPECKER 223 

Downy Woodpecker. Dryohates pubescens medianus 
6.83. Bill .68 

Ad. $ . — Upper parts black ; stripe above and below eye, 
middle of back, and bars across the wing white ; outer tail-feathers 
white, barred with black; under parts white; a scarlet patch at 
the back of the head. Ad.^ . — Similar, without the scarlet patch. 
Lm. — Young males in summer have a reddish-brown patch at the 
back of the head. 

Nest, in a hole in a dead limb, from ten to thirty feet up. Eggs, 
white. • 

The Downy Woodpecker is a common permanent resident 
of IsTew England and New York. It frequents woodland, 
orchards, and shade trees. In winter it often follows a wan- 
dering band of Chickadees, and may easily be attracted to 
a bone or piece of suet hnng on a limb near the house. 
Occasionally in spring one sees a Downy flying through the 
trees as if crazy, or two sometimes have a wild chase in and 
out of the tree trunks. 

In March the male begins to drum on some dry resonant 
limb, and by April the pair have excavated a nesting-hole 
in a dead limb in some woodland tree. The call-note of the 
Downy is a sharp chick, and it also gives, less frequently, a 
shrill cry with a rapid downward fall, suggesting in form 
the whinny of a horse. The young, when following the 
parents, have a shrill whinnying cry like the adults, but 
with less downward inflection. 

The attitude of the Downy, when climbing the trunk or 
large limb of a tree, distinguishes it readily from the smaller 
Black and White Warbler. It is always erect, parallel, that 
is, with the limb, sometimes above a horizontal limb, some- 
times on the under side, but never peering over each side as 
the Warbler does. Its progress is by jerks ; it often backs 
down, tail first, but never comes down head first, like the 
Nuthatch. Occasionally it })erches like a song-bird across a 
small twig. (See, also, following species.) 



224 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Hairy Woodpecker. Dryohates villosus 
9.40. Bill 1.22 

Ad. — Similar to the Downy Woodpecker, but larger, the outer 
tail-feathers pure white, not barred with black. 
Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white. 

The Hairy Woodpecker is a permanent resident of New 
England and New York, but is much rarer than the Downy 
in more cultivated districts. Where there is considerable 
woodland, especially good-sized timber, it is*fairly common. 
In the breeding season it is rarely seen out of the woods, 
but in fall and winter it wanders about, and not infre- 
quently comes to suet or bones hung out in village yards. 

The chink of the Hairy is like that of the Downy, but 
to a trained ear it sounds heavier and wilder. Its rattling 
call lacks the downward run so characteristic of the Downy 
and suggests the rattle of a Kingfisher. 

If one is in doubt about a woodpecker, the bird is prob- 
ably the Downy rather than the Hairy, for when the larger 
bird is seen its size attracts notice at once ; it is nearly as 
large as a Eobin, and its bill looks long and heavy. The 
outer tail-feathers are pure white, not barred with black as 
in the Downy ; but this difference is of little help, unless the 
bird is seen near at hand, and with outspread tail. 



CUCKOOS, KINGFISHERS, ETC. : ORDER 
COCCYGES 

KINGFISHERS : FAMILY ALCEDINID^ 

Belted Kingfisher. Ceryle alcyon 

13.02 

Ad. $. — Upper parts grayish-blue; feathers of the wing 
tipped with white; spot before the eye white; tail-feathers nar- 
rowly barred with white ; broad collar white ; band across the 
breast bluish-gray ; lower breast and belly white ; hill long ; 



BELTED KINGFISHER 225 

feathers of the back of the head long, often raised as a crest. 
Ad. 9- — Similar to $ ; band across the belly and sides chestnut. 
Nest, in a deep hole in a bank of sand. Eggs, white. 

The Kingfisher is a summer resident of all parts of New 
England and New York, appearing in April, as soon as the 




Fig. 68. Belted Kingfisher 

ice melts from the streams and ponds, and staying till October. 
Along Long Island Sound and in the lower Hudson Valley, 
where there is open water all winter, a Kingfisher is occasion- 
ally seen even at that season. Any point of lookout over the 
water may become the Kingfisher's perch, — spar-buoys and 
spindles in little coves and harbors, limbs of trees extending 
over quiet mill-ponds or pools in mountain streams. Here 
it sits and watches the water below, or when startled passes 
along the shore or up the brook, with a loud cry, like a 
watchman's rattle. It often hovers over one spot, with body 
nearly perpendicular, and wings beating rapidly, watching 
some fish below, ready to plunge and seize it in its long bill. 



226 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YOEK 

The Kingfisher may often be seen flying high overhead 
from one fishing-ground to another, or to its burrow. It 
may then be identified by its curious flight ; after two or 
three wing-strokes at ordinary intervals it quickens the time, 
taking two or three strokes much more rapidly. 



CUCKOOS: FAMILY CUCULID-Sl 

Neither of our two species of Cuckoo gives the cuckoo 
cry of the European species. 

Black-billed Cuckoo. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus 
11.83 

Ad. — Upper parts uniform brown; under parts white; hill 
black ; skin about the eye red ; small tips of white on all but the 
inner pair of tail-feathers. 

Nest^ of sticks, loosely constructed, in a bush or a low tree, or 
in a dense mass of vines. Eggs, pale greenish-blue. 

The Black-billed Cuckoo is a common summer resident of 
southern and central New England and of the Hudson Valley, 

arriving in the 
first half of May, 
and occasionally 
lingering till late 
in September; it 
is less common in 
northern New England and is absent from the higher and 
heavily forested regions. It inhabits tangled thickets, plan- 
tations, and the edges of woodland, feeding on caterpillars in 
the thick foliage. In May, when the web-like nests of the 
tent-caterpillar are conspicuous in apple and wild cherry- 
trees, both species of cuckoo resort to them, and pick out the 
hairy caterpillars, which most birds eschew. 

Each species of cuckoo has two sets of notes, which are 
very similar in tone and form. One consists of a series of 




Fig. 69. Tail of Black-billed Cuckoo 



YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO 227 

notes like the syllables kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk-kyow-kyow-kyow. 
These the Black-billed introduces by a gurgling note ; its 
notes, moreover, are more liquid, less wooden than those of 
tlie Yellow-billed. Besides these prolonged calls each species 
has a shorter call : that of the Black-billed sounds like the 
syllables kuk-kuk, or kiik-kuk-kuk, the double, triple, or 
sometimes quadruple combinations being repeated often 
many times ; the corresponding notes of the Yellow-billed 
are single, low, dove-like notes, coo, coo, coo, coo. 

The Black-billed Cuckoo, when seen at short range, may 
be distinguished by the black under mandible, by the rim 
of bare red skin about the eye, or by the small white tips 
on the dusky (not black) tail-feathers. It has a habit when 
alarmed or excited of raising its long tail slowly. 

Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Coccyzus americanus 
12.20 

Ad. — Upper parts brown; under parts white; lower mandible 
yellow, except the tip, which is black; tail long, rounded, the three 
outer blackish tail-feathers ending in large white spots ; a broad 
area of cinnamon showing in the wings when the bird flies. 

Nest, of sticks, loosely constructed, in a low tree or bush, or in 
a dense mass of vines. Eggs, pale greenish-blue. 

The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a summer resident of New 
York and New England, rarely occurring beyond the north- 
ern boundary 
of Massachu- 
setts. It ar- 
rives in the 

r. , I 1 P Fig. 70. Tail of Yellow-billed Cuckoo 

May, and occasionally lingers late into September, In the 
hilly portion of central New England it is rare, occurring in 
Berkshire County only along the rivers and at the outlets 
of lakes. In eastern Massachusetts and about New York 
this and the preceding species are often equally common. 




228 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

The haunts and habits of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo are 
similar to those of the preceding species. It slips quietly 
into the trees and then sits motionless, so that it is more 
often heard than seen. Its notes have been described under 
the preceding species. 

To distinguish the Yellow-billed Cuckoo from the Black- 
billed it is necessary to get near enough to see the large 
white sjjots on the tips of the blackish tail-feathers, or the 
yellow under mandible, or to catch, as the bird flies, the 
cinnamon in the iving. 



BIRDS OP PREY: ORDER RAPTORBS 
OWLS: SUBORDER STRIGES 

HORNED OWLS, ETC. : FAMILY BUBONIDiE 

While seven or eight species of Owl occur in New York 
and New England, only one, the Screech Owl, is at all com- 
mon in inhabited regions. The Barred Owl and the Great 
Horned Owl are the species most frequently heard in deep 
forests. The other species are either uncommon and retiring 
permanent residents, or rare or regular wanderers from the 
north. The Snowy Owl and the Hawk Owl hunt by day, 
and the Short-eared Owl is often seen in the daytime, but 
the other Owls are nocturnal, hiding by day in some hollow 
tree or thick evergreen. Here they are occasionally discov- 
ered by a band of jays, crows, or smaller birds, who surround 
or pursue them with great outcries. Owls bolt their prey 
bones and all and then disgorge the indigestible portions 
in the form of pellets ; their presence is, therefore, often 
indicated by the appearance on the ground of numbers of 
these gray pellets. They hoot at all seasons of the year, 
but less commonly in summer and very constantly in late 
winter and early spring. An Owl is easily recognized by its 



AMERICAN HAWK OWL 229 

noiseless flight and by the peculiar human appearance of 
the face, due to the position of the eyes, both of which look 
forward. The feathers which surround the eye are known 
as the facial disk ; in one or two species their color serves 
as a good field-mark. It is important also to determine the 
presence or absence of '^ horns," or erect tufts of feathers, 
which in several species rise from the head. 

American Hawk Owl. Surnia ulula caparoch 

15.00 

Ad. — Top of head and hind neck spotted with white; back 
dark brown; under parts white, streaked on the throat, barred on 
the breast and belly with brown; wings and tail brown, barred 
with white; face whitish, encircled with black ; tail considerably 
more than a third as long as the whole bird; bill yellowish-white. 

The American Hawk Owl is usually a very rare winter 
visitant in northern New England ; occasionally, however, 
it is fairly common in winter in Maine and northern New 
Hampshire. It is as diurnal as a hawk, and watches for its 
prey on a perch in plain sight. It may be known by its tail, 
which is much longer in proportion than that of any of our 
other owls. 

Snowy Owl. Nyctea nyctea 

25.00 

Ad. $.— -Entire plumage ivhite, more or less barred on head, 
back, wings, and tail, and often on the belly and sides, with brown. 
Ad. 9- — Much darker than $, only the face, front of neck, and 
middle of breast pure white; rest of plumage heavily barred with 
brown. 

The Snowy Owl is a very irregular winter visitor from 
the north, sometimes occurring in large numbers, but often 
absent for several years ; it is found more often along the 
sea-shore tlian inland. It is strictly diurnal, and may be 
seen perched on some rock or tree, conspicuous enough if 



230 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

there is no snow about. The sexes vary in the amount of 
brown color in the white feathers, but the general effect is 
always so white that there is no chance of confusing it with 
any other owl. 

Gkeat Horned Owl. Biiho virginianus 
22.00 

Ad. — Head and neck speckled with black and tawny; rest 
of the upper parts speckled with gray; collar across breast 
white; rest of the lower parts tawny, barred with black; disk 
tawny; ear-tufts nearly two inches long, black and tawny; eyes 
yellow. 

Nest, in trees, often a deserted hawk's or crow's nest. Eggs, 
white. 

The Great Horned Owl is a permanent resident of New 
York and New England ; it is found only in extensive tracts 
of woodland, particularly where swamps give shelter to 
hares and grouse, on which it feeds. Its common call is a 
deep-voiced hoot, made up of a number of syllables. It 
differs from the cry of the Barred Owl in keeping on the 
same note to the end, and being less regular in form and 
accent. It may be written thus : Whoo', hoo-hoo, hod, hob. 
If discovered in the daytime, it may be readily identified by 
its great size, prominent ear-tufts, and broad white collar. 

Screech Owl. Megascops asio 
9.40 

Ad. — Either bright reddish-brown, or delicate brownish-gray, 
streaked with black, the two phases of color having nothing to do 
with sex or age; two "ears,"'^ tufts of feathers about an inch long, 
on the sides of the head. 

Nest, in a hole in a tree. Eggs, white. 

The Screech Owl is a common permanent resident of 
New York and New England, more common in the southern 
portion of its range, and absent from the mountainous and 



SCEEECH OWL 



231 




.ll /TM ril^ u»»V^ 

Fig. 71. Screech Owl 
sitting on a branch of the 



heavily forested regions of the north. It is the only owl 
which remains in the towns and villages, the only one 
whose voice is regularly heard away from deep woods. Its 
notes are a frequent accom- 
paniment of winter twilights, 
and though more often heard 
in autumn and winter, they 
are uttered occasionally at 
every season. The name, bor- 
rowed from Europe, is not ap- 
propriate to our species. The 
cry is tremulous, quavering, 
suggesting the soft whinny- 
ing of a horse, or the rapid 
and muffled beating of wings. 
Sometimes the little owl is seen 
tree in the gathering dusk, but as a rule it keeps concealed 
during the day in thick evergreens, or more often in the 
hollow of a tree. The presence under a tree of gray pellets 
of mouse-fur, inclosing skull and bones, is evidence that an 
owl either inhabits or has inhabited the tree. Sometimes 
an excited scolding and fluttering of Chickadees about a 
hole in an apple-tree betrays the little recluse. The ear- 
tufts distinguish it from the much rarer Acadian, our only 
other small owl ; its small size should easily distinguish it 
from the other owls. (See also Long-eared Owl, p. 233.) 

Saw-whet Owl ; Acadian Owl. Nyctala acadica 
8.00 

Ad. — Upper parts brown, more or less spotted with white; 
under parts white, striped with brown; wing, when spread, crossed 
with several rows of white spots; no ear-tuth. hn. — Upper parts 
plain brown; under parts brownish, fading on the belly into yel- 
lowish-brown. 

Nest, in holes in trees, often in a deserted woodpecker's hole. 
Eggs, white. 



232 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

The Acadian Owl is a rare permanent resident of north- 
ern New York and ISTew England, and a rare migrant and 
winter visitant in southern New York and New England. 
Its notes, which have given this owl one of its names, 
suggest the rasping sound made in filing a saw. It is 
smaller than a Screech Owl, and is readily distinguished by 
the absence of ear-tufts. The spots of white on the brown 
back, moreover, give it a very different tone of color from 
that of the Screech Owl, with its fine streaking of black 
and reddish-brown, or gray. 

Barred Owl. Syrnium varium 
20.00 

Upper parts dark brown, barred or spotted with buffy; lower 
parts whitish, barred with brown across the breast; belly striped 
with brown ; disk gray ; bill yellowish / no ear-tufts. 

Nest, in trees, usually iu hollows, sometimes in a deserted 
hawk's or crow's nest. JSggs, white. 

The Barred Owl is a permanent resident of New York 
and New England. Like most of the large owls, it is now 
rare and confined to the wilder, more heavily wooded dis- 
tricts, where its hooting is a characteristic sound of wild, 
swampy woods. Its ordinary cry is composed of a regular 
number of syllables, about eight in all, divided into two 
sets of four each, very similar in form ; the second, how- 
ever, ends in a deep hollow note with a downward cadence. 
It may be written hoo hoo hob hob, hoo hoo hoo hoo'- aw. 
Its regular form and the falling cadence at the close 
distinguish it from the other common hooting sound in the 
wild forests, that of the Horned Owl. It is oftener heard 
in winter and early spring than in summer ; it is regularly 
uttered in the evening, but not infrequently in the daytime 
also, especially in answer to an imitation of the cry, or be- 
cause of some other unusual excitement. 

Sometimes the Barred Owl is discovered in the daytime, 



SHORT-EARED OWL 233 

hiding in a thick evergreen^ or in some hollow tree, the 
centre, perhaps, of a little mob of angry birds. It may be 
then recognized by its large size, absence of ear-tufts, and 
the brown barring across the breast. 

Short-eared Owl. Asio accijJitrinus 
15.50 

Ad. — Upper parts yellowish-brown^ streaked with black; under 
parts buffy, streaked with dark brown, particularly on the 
breast; wings and tail, when spread, spotted and barred with 
white; disk blackish around the eyes; ear-tufts very short. Im. — 
Upper parts darker; under parts dull buffy, unstreaked j disk 
brownish-black. 

Nest, on ground. Eggs, white. 

The Short-eared Owl is a rare and local permanent resi- 
dent of New York and New England, but is chiefly met 
with as a migrant, especially along ocean beaches and in 
extensive marshes. It is occasionally as diurnal as the 
Snowy Owl, and may be seen beating over the marshes or 
sand dunes. When startled it sometimes flies to a post or 
knoll in the marsh or on the beach, and lights there. Dusk, 
however, is its favorite hunting-time, and it generally spends 
the day on the ground in thick grass. Its ear-tufts are 
not at all prominent, even in the live bird, but it may be 
known from the forest-haunting Barred Owl by the nature 
of the country in which it is generally found, by its smaller 
size, the lighter tone of its upper parts, and by the absence 
of barring on the breast. 

American Long-eared Owl. Asia wilsonlanus 

14.80 

Ad. — Prevailing color of the upper parts dark brown, 
speckled with whitish and yellowish-brown; lower parts whitish, 
streaked and barred with dusky; ear-tufts conspicuous, over an 
inch long, blackish, rising from the middle of the head • disk about 
eyes rich reddish-brown. 



234 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Nest, in trees, generally a deserted crow's or hawk's nest. 
Eggs, white. 

The Long-eared Owl is a rather uncommon permanent 
resident of ^ew York and New England. Like all the 
larger owls, it is more common in the wilder parts of its 
range. It frequents swampy woods or thick evergreens, 
hunting at night and hiding in thick foliage by day. Its 
cry is ''said by some to resemble the noise made by 
kittens, while others state that it is like the barking of 
small dogs " (Fisher). It may be known by its size, inter- 
mediate between the Screech Owl and the Great Horned 
Owl, and by its conspicuous ear-tufts, which rise from the 
middle and not the sides of the head, (See also Screech 
Owl, Fig. 71, p. 230.) If it faces an observer, the rusty- 
brown facial disk is coiispicuons. 

BARN OWLS : FAMILY STRIGIDiE 

Amekican Barn Owl. Strix i^ratincola 
18.00 

Ad. — Upper parts buffy-yellow, mixed with white and gray, 
and speckled with black ; under parts varying from white to 
bright tawny, dotted with black ; disk varying from white to 
tawny. 

Nest, in a tower, steeple, or hole in a tree. Eggs, white. 

The Barn Owl is a rare but regular resident from Long 
Island and northern New Jersey southward. It very rarely 
issues forth in the daytime. Bendire describes its common 
cry as a ^' peevish scream," frequently heard at night ; he 
mentions also ^' a feeble querulous note sounding somewhat 
like the call of the Xighthawk," and '' an unpleasant hiss- 
ing noise." If seen perching, it will be readily recognized 
by its white or tawny face, encircled by a reddish-brown 
ring, and by its conspicuous long legs, which are not hidden 
by its plumage, as in the other owls. 



AMERICAN OSPREY 235 

HAWKS, ETC.: SUBORDER FALCONES 

HAWKS AND EAGLES : FAMILY FALCONIDiE 

Thirteen species of Hawks (including the Bald Eagle) 
occur regularly in New York and New England. Of these^ 
nine belong to three genera, Falco, Buteo, and AcGi2nter, 
which differ so much in their proportions and in the char- 
acteristics of their flight, that it is important to become 
familiar with them. The Sparrow Hawk, the Eed-shoul- 
dered Hawk, and the Cooper's Hawk are the commonest 
representatives of these three genera. All these species hunt 
in country where woods alternate with open land, and are seen 
most frequently flying overhead or perched upright on some 
lookout post. 

The Marsh Hawk, which belongs to a different genus, is 
often commoner than the Sparrow Hawk, while the little 
Sharp-shinned Hawk is common everywhere in spring and 
fall. The frontispiece and the plate, facing page 246 illus- 
trate the differences between the four common genera. The 
Marsh Hawk hunts low over extensive meadows ; the Eish 
Hawk plunges into the water from a great height ; the 
Eagle, too, is generally seen near large bodies of water ; the 
Kough-legged Hawk is a rare migrant or Avinter visitant to 
extensive meadows : the Goshawk and the Pigeon Hawk are 
rare, and the Broad-winged Hawk is only locally common. 

American Osprey ; Fish Hawk. Pand'ion liallaetus 

carolinensis 

23.10 

Ad. $. — Upper parts gT«ayish-brown ; head, neck, and tinder 
parttt ivhite ; sides and top of head iiiarked with dusky. Ad. 9- — 
Similar to $, but with breast spotted M'ith brown. 

Nest, in trees or on polos near the water. 7t,\///.s", varying from 
buffy-white to reddish-brown, spotted with dark brown. 



236 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YOEK 

The Fish Hawk is a local summer resident of New York 
and New England, breeding near the coast or on large inland 
rivers and lakes. There are colonies in northern New Jer- 
sey, on Long Island, and on Narragansett Bay ; in Maine 
it breeds both on the coast and in the interior. In the rest 
of New York and New England it is a rather common 
migrant, both on the coast and inland, in April and May, 
and in September and October. Its habit of plunging into 
the water from a height is, of course, characteristic. When 
not fishing, its great extent of wing, and its luhite head and 
under parts distinguish it. 

American Sparrow Hawk. Falco S2^arverius 
$ 9.50. 9 10.75 

Ad. $ . — Upper parts conspicuously reddish-brown ; head, when 
seen near to, slate-blue, with a large reddish-brown spot; throat 
and cheeks white, a black mark from in front of the eye along 
the side of the throat, another from back of the eye; wings 
slate-blue; tail tipped with black; large black spots on belly and 
side. Ad. 9- — Very similar, but with more reddish-brown on 
the wings; no black band across tip of tail. 

Nest, in a hole in a tree, or in a tower. Eggs, varying from 
white, with few markings, to deep bufiF, more or less speckled 
with brown. 

The Sparrow Hawk is a summer resident of New York 
and New England ; it is nowhere common, and in the up- 
land of northern New England it does not occur. It is a 
common spring and fall migrant along the coast, and an 
occasional winter visitant from eastern Massachusetts south- 
ward. It frequents extensive meadows, where a few tall 
trees here and there furnish it with posts of observation 
and a breeding-site in some dead limb. It often hovers over 
the grass, with tail broadly spread, the wings rapidly vibrat- 
ing forward of the almost perpendicular body. Just after 
alighting the tail is tilted once or twice. During the court- 



PIGEON HAWK 237 

ship the male performs evolutions in the air, dropping rap- 
idly from a height, uttering a note like the syllables hilly, 
hilly. 

The small size of this hawk will distinguish it from all 
other hawks except the Sharp-shinned and the rather rare 
Pigeon Hawk, and from each of these the reddish-hrown 
of the hack and tail at once distinguishes it. In flying, the 
Sparrow Hawk takes rapid strokes, and does not alternate 
these regularly with intervals of gliding, as the Sharp- 
shinned Hawk does. The tail of the latter extends far out 
behind him as he circles high in the air ; the former's 
wings reach well toward the tip of the tail, so that its tail 
does not show as conspicuously. The Sparrow Hawk's 
wings are long and narrow ; the Sharp-shinned Hawk's are 
short and broad. (See Frontispiece.) 

Pigeon Hawk. Falco columharius 

$ 10.00. 9 13.00 

Ad. $ . — Upper parts hluish-gray ; under parts white, streaked 
with black, the throat lightly, the rest heavily. Ad. ^ and Im. — 
Upper parts brownish ; under parts as in male. 

The Pigeon Hawk is a somewhat rare migrant in New 
York and New England in April, September, and October, 
more common along the coast ; it is an occasional winter 
visitant. When a student has thoroughly learned the differ- 
ence in appearance and flight between the Sparrow Hawk 
and the Sharp-shinned Hawk, between a Falcon with long, 
narrow wings, and an Accipiter with short, rounded wings, 
he will be able, if a good opportunity offers, to identify a 
Pigeon Hawk. If a small hawk has a powerful head and 
shoulders, long narrow wings reaching well toward the tip 
of tlie tail, and the rapid flight of a falcon, and yet has a 
brownish (not reddish-brown) or a slaty-blue back, it can 
be no other than the Pigeon Hawk. 



238 BIKDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Duck Hawk. Falco i^ereg^'inus anatum 
$ 16.00. 9 19.00 

Ad. — Top and sides of head black, throat inclosed by two broad 
black stripes ; rest of upper parts, wings, and tail bluish-gray; tail 
crossed with narrow black bars; throat and breast buffy, or white; 
belly buffy, crossed with narrow black bars. Im. — Upper parts 
blackish-gray, the feathers edged with brown; black bars border- 
ing throat, as in adult; throat buffy; rest of under parts buffy 
or yellowish-brown, thickly streaked with black. 

Nest, on steep cliffs. Eggs, varying from buffy to brown, 
sometimes plain, sometimes spotted, or blotched. 

The Duck Hawk breeds here and there on a few steep 
cliffs along the Hudson and in New England. Mount Tom 
and one or two other cliffs in Massachusetts, Eagle Cliff and 
Dixville Notch, N. H., and Lakes Willoughby and Mem- 
phremagog, Yt, each has an eyrie of these noble hawks. 
In most of New England the bird is a rather rare migrant 
or a still rarer winter resident. In April and May, and 
again in September and October, it is not infrequently seen 
along the sea-shore, where it preys on the sea-fowl and 
shore birds. When one approaches the cliff where a pair 
are breeding, the parents become much agitated, and fly up 
and down with a loud, harsh cry. The Duck Hawk may 
readily be known by its size, by the cut of its wings and 
tail, and by the black " 7nust aches.'' 

Bald Eagle. Haliceetus leucocephalus 
$ 32.85. 9 35.50 

Ad. — Head, neck, and tail white ; rest of plumage dark brown. 
Im., second or third year. — Head and neck blackish; rest of upper 
parts mixed grayish-brown and blackish ; under parts mixed 
white and dark, /m., Jirst year. — Whole plumage nearly uni- 
form black; under parts more or less spotted with whitish. 

Nest, on tall trees, sometimes on cliffs. EggSy white. 

The Bald Eagle is a permanent resident of the lower 
Hudson Valley and along Long Island Sound, and a rare 



AMERICAN EOUGH-LEGGED HAWK 239 

winter visitant in southeastern New Hampshire. It is a 
summer resident of the Maine coast and of some of the 
large lakes of northern New England. Elsewhere in New 
England it is a rare migrant, occurring in May and at 
almost any time during the summer. It frequents bodies of 
water at all times, feeding on the dead fish and other refuse 
cast up on the shore. 

An old bird, with white head and tail, is unmistakable ; 
in the brown immature plumage the eagle can be told from 
one of the larger hawks only by its great size and by its 
proportions. The wing is twice as long as the tail, so that 
the whole extent of the spread wings from tip to tip is six 
or seven times the length of the tail. 

American Eough-legged Hav^k. Archibuteo lagopus 
sancti-johannis 

$ 21.60. 9 22.50 

Ad., normal phase. — Head and neck whitish, streaked with 
brown ; rest of upper parts brown, streaked with lighter tints ; 
base of the tail whitish, barred with black ; lower parts dark 
brown, spotted with white. Im., normal phase. — Similar, but 
lower parts whitish or buffy, streaked on the breast with brown, 
and crossed over the belly by a broad band of deep brown. 

Both old and young have so-called melanistic phases, in which 
they vary from deep black to forms a httle darker than the 
normal. 

The American Rough-legged Hawk is a very rare 
migrant or winter resident in New York and New England. 
It was formerly a common migrant through the Connecti- 
cut Valley. ^' The Rough-leg is one of the most nocturnal 
of our hawks, and may be seen in the fading twiliglit 
watching from some low perch, or beating with measured 
noiseless flight over its hunting-ground. It follows two 
very diflerent methods in securing its food : one by sitting 
on some stub or low tree and watching the ground for the 
appearance of its prey, as the Red-tail does ; the other by 



240 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

beating back and forth just above the tops of the grass or 
bushes, and dropping upon its victim, after the manner of 
the Marsh Hawk" (Fisher). 

The ivhitish base of the tail and its length help to 
identify this hawk in the light-colored phase ; care, how- 
ever, must be taken not to mistake the much commoner 
Marsh Hawk, which has pure white upper tail-coverts, for 
a Eough-leg. The former I have never seen light on a tree ; 
the latter often watches for its prey from a perch j the 
flight of the former is light, the latter's heavy. 

Broad-wtxged Hawk. Buteo platypterus 
^ 14.00. 9 17.00 

Ad. — Upper parts dark brown; tail dark, crossed by two to 
four broad bands of light gray or whitish, which show from 
below ; under sides of quill-feathers white, tipped with black ; 
under parts brownish, spotted with white. Im. — Upper parts 
dark brown ; tail duller, with fainter bars ; cheeks with rather 
distinct dusky streaks or "mustaches;" under parts white or 
buffy, heavily streaked with black. 

Nest, in trees, from twenty-five to fifty feet up. Eggs, buffy- 
whitish, spotted with brown. 

The Broad-winged Hawk is a summer resident of New 
York and New England. In some parts of northern New 
England it is the commonest hawk, but it is rare or absent 
in many localities. It arrives in April, and leaves in Sep- 
tember. It is a bird of wooded hills, and disappears if the 
country is cleared. 

If a student has become familiar with the commoner 
hawks, and can recognize a Buteo by the cut of the wings 
and tail, he may hope under favorable conditions to identify 
a Broad-winged Hawk. It is decidedly smaller than a 
Bed-shouldered Hawk, and has in the breeding season a 
cry that resembles the note of the Wood Pewee. It is the 
most unsuspicious of our hawks, especially about the nest. 
In the adult the dark bars across the tail show distinctly 



RED-SHOULDEHED HAWK 241 

from below j a large part of the under side of the wings 
when spread is white without any barring, and offers a 
marked contrast to the black tips. 

Red-shouldered Hawk. Buteo lineatus 
$ 18.30. 9 20.35 

Ad. — Bend of wing and under parts reddish-brown; tail black, 
crossed with five or six narrow white bars. Im. — Upper parts 
dark brown, spotted with white; tail dark, crossed with grayish 
bands ; under parts whitish, streaked or spotted with brown. 

Nest, in large trees, from fifty to seventy-five feet up. Eggs, 
white or whitish, spotted with brown. 

The Red-shouldered Hawk, called Hen Hawk by the 
farmers, is the commonest hawk in southern New England 
and the lower Hudson Valley. It is a permanent resident, 
but less common in winter than in summer in the northern 
portion of its range. It becomes rare at the edge of the 
Canadian Zone. It may be seen circling high overhead, 
often screaming tee'-ur tee'-ur, or a pair may be seen over 
low, swampy woods, screaming, and soaring higher and 
higher, till they become mere specks in the blue. In fall 
and winter it often perches on some favorite tree, watching 
for mice or frogs in the low meadows or swampy grounds. 
The Red-shouldered Hawk is not swift enough to pursue 
many birds on the wing, as the Falcons and Accipiters do ; 
it either watches the ground from a perch, as above de- 
scribed, or when soaring high overhead, scans the ground 
or trees beneath it for mice, squirrels, rabbits, and occasion- 
ally birds. When it sees its prey, it closes wings and tail, 
and drops swiftly down upon it. 

Adults have reddisli-brouni nnder ^>(7rf.<?, and may be 
thus distinguished from Red-tailed Hawks ; but immature 
birds of both species ditler very little, and can hardly be 
distinguished unless killed. Tlie notes of tlic two, however, 
differ, and in spring and summer are excellent means of 



242 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

identification. The scream of the Eed-shouldered Hawk is 
identical with one of the notes of the Blue Jay ; it can 
easily be imitated by whistling. The scream of the Eed- 
tailed Hawk is higher, more sputtering, more of a squeal 
than a scream. 

Eed-tailed Hawk. Buteo horealis 
$ 20.00. 9 23.00 

Ad. $. — Upper parts brown ; tail deep reddish ; under parts 
white, more or less heavily streaked with brown. Im. — Similar 
to adult, but tail brown, crossed by numerous blackish bands. 

Nest, in tall trees. Eggs, dull white, more or less spotted with 
brown. 

The E,ed-tailed Hawk breeds throughout ]S"ew England 
and the Hudson Valley, but except in the w^ilder and more 
hilly portions of ]S"ew England it is less common than the 
Red-shouldered Hawk. Though the species is a permanent 
resident, there is a regular migration in spring and fall; 
sometimes a large number pass over in a day. The bird's 
hunting and nesting habits are similar to those of the Red- 
shouldered Hawk ; its notes have already been described 
(see preceding species). In the glens among the mountains 
the high, sputtering cry of the Red-tailed Hawk is a not 
uncommon sound, and a day hardly passes without a sight 
of the majestic bird soaring overhead. Even when the hawk 
is high in air, if it is an adult, the reddish tail shows as 
the bird wheels. (See plate facing page 246.) 

American Goshawk. Accipiter atricajnllus 

$ 22.00. 9 24.00 

Ad. — Top of head and region back of the eyes black, a white 
line over the eye; rest of upper parts, wings, and tail bluish-gray; 
under parts white, everywhere streaked and barred with dark gray. 
Im. — Upper parts brown, spotted especially about the head with 
whitish; tail and under parts white, streaked and spotted with 
brown. 



cooper's hawk 243 

Nesty of sticks in trees. Eggs, white, sometimes faintly marked 
with brownish. 

The Goshawk is a rare summer resident of the Canadian 
Zone, where it is confined chiefly to the deep forests of the 
higher mountains. In the autumn and winter, at irregular 
intervals, Goshawks appear in southern New England and 
the Hudson Valley in considerable numbers. They are ex- 
traordinarily bold and rapacious, and fly, when hunting, with 
great speed. 

An adult is a very beautiful bird, the slaty gray of the 
back and fine gray barring on the white under parts giving 
it a lighter tone than any other hawk, except the adult male 
Marsh Hawk. The black cap and the lahite line ovei' the eye 
are also distinctive marks. An immature bird could hardly be 
told from a large Cooper's Hawk, unless killed and measured. 

Cooper's Hawk. Accvpiter cooperii 
$ 15.50. 9 19.00 

Ad. $. — Upper parts dark gray, bluish-gray in strong light; 
top of head blackish ; tail crossed by several blackish bands ; under 
parts white, closely barred with reddish-brown; tail rounded. Ad. 
9 . — Duller than the $ . Im. — Upper parts dusky brown ; lower 
parts white, striped with brown, the sides barred with the same. 

Nest, in high trees, often a deserted crow's nest. Eggs, bluish- 
white, rarely spotted with pale brownish. 

The Cooper's Hawk, called Chicken Hawk by the farm- 
ers, is a not uncommon summer resident throughout south- 
ern and central New England and the lower Hudson Valley ; 
it occurs sparingly on the uplands of central New England, 
but is absent from the deep forests of the Canadian Zone. 
It is a rare winter resident in the vicinity of New York city. 
The Cooper's Hawk is bold, strong, and swift, and destroys 
more poultry and wild birds than any other hawk, AVlieu 
the nesting-site is approached, the birds utter cries like " a 
Flicker's laugli or a tree-toad's trill magnified" (F. 11. Allen). 



244 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

The male is hard to distinguish from a female Sharp- 
shinned Hawk, but the female is considerably larger. Her 
long tail and manner of flight ought easily to distinguish 
her from the other common large hawks, the Red-shouldered 
and the Marsh Hawk. The Red-shouldered Hawk soars or 
circles high in air, with a cut of wings and tail like that 
of the Red-tailed Hawk shown in plate facing page 246 ; 
the Marsh Hawk glides low over meadows and marshes, 
and sooner or later shows the large white spot at the base 
of the tail. The Cooper's Hawk either flies fairly high, the 
powerful wing-strokes alternating with periods of gliding, 
during which the length of tail is evident, or, Avhen hunt- 
ing, flies rapidly over the tops of bushes and betw^een the 
trees. When a Cooper's Hawk perches, the tail projects well 
below the wdngs, and is crossed by blackish bands. The 
breast is either finely barred with reddish-brown, or streaked 
with blackish or reddish- brown. 

Sharp-shixned Hawk. Acciinter velox 
$ 11.25. 9 13.50 

Ad. — Upper parts grayish-brown; tail crossed with blackish 
bars; under parts white, streaked with reddish-brown. Im. — 
Resembles immature Cooper's Ha.wk, but tail square. 

Nest, usually in trees. Eggs, white, greenish-white, or bluish- 
white, usually heavily blotched with brown. 

The Sharp-shinned Hawk is a common migrant through- 
out New England and New York, occurring in April, Sep- 
tember, and October. It is rare in the breeding season in 
Kew England, and still rarer in winter ; but it is a common 
permanent resident of the lower Hudson Valley. The 
Sharp-shinned Hawk is the commonest small hawk in spring 
and fall, and the most destructive to bird-life. Often a hush 
falls over the thickets which a moment before w^ere full of 
song and fluttering wings ; if we glance upward at such a 
time, we can generally discover a small hawk drifting over, 



MARSH HAWK 245 

taking a few strokes, then gliding forward on spread wings, 
or wheeling motionless. 

Its long tail and short, rounded ivings, and the alter- 
nation of loing-strohe and periods of gliding, mark it as 
either a Sharp-shinned Hawk, or a near relative, the Coop- 
er's Hawk, and distinguish it from the other small hawk, the 
Sparrow Hawk. When pursuing its prey, however, it does 
not stop to glide, but flies with rapid wing-strokes, dashing 
into a thicket where the frightened birds have taken refuge. 
It is then to be distinguished from the Sparrow Hawk by 
the entire absence of reddish-brown on the back. When it 
perches, it chooses a limb more or less in shadow ; its tail 
extends some distance beyond its folded wings, and is crossed 
with several blackish bars. There is no way of surely tell- 
ing a large female Sharp-shinned Hawk from a small male 
Cooper's Hawk ; the male of the smaller species and the 
female of the larger may, however, always be told by their 
size. When the nest is approached, the parents utter a 
cry suggesting " a Hairy Woodpecker's long call " (F. H. 
Allen). (See Frontispiece.) 

Marsh Hawk. Circus hudsonius 
$ 19.00. 9 22.00 

Ad. $ . — Upper parts light bluish-gray ; tail crossed by black 
bars; upper tail-coverts (over the base of the tail) pwe ivhite ; 
throat and breast gray ; belly white, flecked here and there with 
brown ; under surface of the wings white ; wings tipped with 
black. Ad. 9- — Upper parts brown; '^rump^' white; lower 
parts buffy-whitish ; breast thickly streaked with brown. Im. — 
Upper parts similar to 9 5 lower parts rich rusty, streaked with 
brown on the breast, paler and unstreaked on the belly. 

Nest, on the ground, in wet meadows. Eggs, white or bluish- 
white, often spotted with pale brown. 

The Marsh Hawk is a summer resident tliroughout New 
England and New York. It winters sparingly in southern 
New England and the lower Hudson A^alley. It arrives in 



246 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

March or April, and stays till October. The usual haunts 
of the bird are extensive meadows, where it hunts mice 
and frogs by gliding low over the grass and occasionally 
dropping to the ground, beating up and down apparently 
in a regular course. It is found, however, even in the 
hills, where there are only restricted swampy tracts. In 
the breeding season the male performs aerial revolutions, 
dropping from a height, turning, and screaming in his 
descent. When the nest is approached, the parents swoop 
at the intruder, uttering cries like the syllables geg, geg, 

geg- 

When it flies low, the pure white upper tail-coverts offer 
an unmistakable field-mark ; they are especially conspicu- 
ous in the brown birds, the females and immature males. 
The adult male is a beautiful bird, the delicate gray shade 
of its plumage and the hlacli-tipped ivings suggesting a 
gull. Sometimes the Marsh Hawk is seen at a considerable 
height ; at such a time its long tail distinguishes it from 
the Eed-shouldered Hawk, and its long wings from the 
Cooper's Hawk. 

PIGEONS: ORDER COLUMB^ 

PIGEONS : FAMILY COLUMBIDJQ 

Mourning Dove. Zenaidura macroura 
11.85 

Ad. $ . — Back of head bluish-gray ; rest of head and neck 
pinkish-brown, sides of neck with metallic reflections ; a small 
black spot below the ear ; back, and wings and tail when closed 
brown ; outer tail-feathers and wing-feathers, when opened, 
bluish ; the outer tail-feathers much shorter than the middle 
pair, banded with black, tipped with white ; breast pinkish-brown ; 
belly buffy. Ad. 9 • — Similar, but duller ; hardly any bluish 
on head. Im. — Duller and browner than 9 . 

Nestf a loose platform of sticks, generally in trees, not over ten 
feet from the ground. Eggs, two, white. 




RED-TAILED HAWK (upper); MARSH HAWK > Knvo. ) 



MOURNING DOVE 



247 



The Mourning Dove is a summer resident of central 
and southern New England and of the. Hudson Valley, 
arriving late in March, and re- 
maining till October. Though 
found as far north as Concord, 
N. H., it is generally rare north 
of southern Connecticut, or only 
locally common in the broader 
river valleys. It frequents sandy 
plains and the edges of old fields, 
particularly in the neighborhood 
of pine groves and of orchards, 
in both of which it nests. In 
late summer it feeds on the 
stubble of grain-fields, and is 
not infrequently to be seen from 
the cars, as it flies off at the ap- 
proach of the engine. Its notes, 
heard in early spring, particularly at sunrise and sunset, 
are like the strokes of a distant bell, low and sweet, but 
mournful. They may be written thus : coo-ah, cdOj cod, 
cod. 

When a dove flies from the ground, it often lights in 
some tree near by ; its long, rounded tail, marked with 
black and deeply tipped ivith white, serves as an excellent 
field-mark. At a distance the general appearance of the bird 
is brownish, but it is readily told by its pigeon-like aspect, 
and by its flight, which is very swift, rather low, and is 
accompanied by a noticeable wdiistling sound. (See Yellow- 
billed Cuckoo, p. 227.) 




Fig. 72. Tail of Mourning 
Dove 



Note. — The Wild Pigeon (Ectopistes migi-atoi-ius), formerly seen in 
innumerable multitudes, is now practically extinct in New England. 
Any bird wliicli ansAvers fairly well to the description of the Pigeon, 
unless seen in the woods of northern New England or by a very well 
trained observer, is probably the Mourning- Dove. 



248 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

GALLINACEOUS BIRDS : ORDER GALLING 

PHEASANTS : FAMILY PHASIANIDiE 

The E-ing-necked Pheasant (Fhasianits torquatus) and 
the English Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) have been 
introduced in various places in IN'ew York and New Eng- 
land, and have become well established here and there. 



GROUSE, BOB-WHITE, ETC. : FAMILY 
TETRAONIDiE 

Though there are four species belonging to the Grouse 
family in oSTew York and New England, two are so rare or 
local that few observers will meet them. The Ruffed 
Grouse or Partridge is everywhere distributed. The Quail 
or Bob-white is common from Massachusetts southward. 
The Spruce Grouse is a permanent, though rather rare or 
local, resident of extensive spruce forests in northern New 
York and New England. On Martha's Vineyard a very 
small colony of the Heath Hen are the last representatives 
on the Atlantic coast of the Prairie Hen so common in 
the West. 

Heath Hen. Tympanuchus ciqoido 
18.00 

Ad. Z • — Upper parts brownish, barred with black and buff ; 
under parts white, barred with brown ; sides of the neck with 
tufts of stiff, rather long black feathers. Tail grayish-brown, 
without tars or hands, except a whitish tip. Ad. 9 • — Similar, but 
neck-tufts much shorter. Tail barred with buff or light brown. 

Nest, on ground. Eggs, creamy buff, with a slight greenish 
tinge. 

The Heath Hen is the eastern representative of the 
Prairie Hen of the West, and though formerly found along 



HUFFED GROUSE 249 

the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Virginia, is now 
confined to the island of Martha's Vineyard, where it is a 
permanent resident. Only a small number of Heath Hens 
still survive, and the great plains of oak scrub in which 
they live are so extensive that it is only by chance that one 
meets them. A guide is necessary, and repeated visits 
must be made to insure even a chance of success. The male 
in spring inflates two yellow sacs on each side of the neck 
and utters a booming sound which can be heard over a mile 
away. The lack of a broad black band across the base of 
the tail should distinguish the Heath Hen from the Euffed 
Grouse. 

E/UFFED Grouse. Bonasa umbellus \ 
Canadian Euffed Grouse. Bonasa > Partridge 
umbellus togata ) 

17.00 

Ad. $. — Upper parts and wings reddish-brown or gray, 
streaked with black; large tufts of glossy black feathers on the 
sides of the neck; tail broad, reddish-brown or gray, crossed by 
a hroad hand of Mack near the tip ; throat buffy; rest of under 
parts white, tinged with buffy, and barred, particularly on the 
sides, with blackish-brown. Ad. 9 • — Similar, but smaller; neck- 
tufts small or almost wanting. 

Nest, on the ground in woods. Eggs, buffy, usually unmarked, 
sometimes slightly speckled with brown. 

The Partridge, as it is usually called in the north, is 
a common permanent resident of New York and New 
England. It is exclusively a woodland bird, only appear- 
ing in open country when it has lost its way. It frequents 
all kinds of forest growth, and is equally at home in 
swamps and upland. As one walks through the under- 
growth, a Partridge often starts off directly at one's feet, 
with a loud whirring of wings. In summer the female 
frequently tries to divert attention from her young by feign- 
ing a broken wing, sometimes circling within a few feet of 



250 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

an observer, whining piteously. When the woods are again 
quiet, she may be heard mewing and clucking to the young, 
who have been hiding in the dry leaves and now rejoin her. 

From March to May the drumming of the male is a con- 
stant sound in swampy woods. It begins with hollow thump- 
ing sounds, separated by slight intervals ; these soon run 
rapidly into one another, and the performance ends in a 
reverberating roll. The best explanation of the drumming 
of the Partridge is that of Mr. Brewster, who is convinced 
'^ that the bird's wings strike neither its body nor the log [on 
which it stands], but simply the air, and that the sound 
which they produce while the Partridge is drumming is 
essentially the same as that heard when it starts in flight " 
(Minot, p. 409, note). The drumming is rare in mid- 
summer, but is not infrequently heard on warm days in the 
autumn. At night Partridges roost in trees, and where they 
are not shy they often fly to a tree when startled and watch 
the intruder from their perch. On winter afternoons they 
often burrow into the snow and spend the night in this shel- 
ter. Their tracks are frequent in the winter woods, for they 
walk rather than fly from place to place, making long lines 
in various directions. When they do fly, their outspread 
wings leave one or two impressions just beyond the end of 
their track. In summer they frequently dust themselves in 
the road, and, like many birds, seem little alarmed by the 
approach of a carriage. 

The male may be told from the female by his larger size, 
longer tail, and more conspicuous rufi" of black feathers, 
formed by prominent tufts at each side of the neck. The 
widespread tail varies in color from gray to reddish-brown. 
The Grouse found on the upland of western Massachusetts 
and in northern New York and New England has grayer 
upper parts, more distinct barring on the breast and belly, 
and generally a grayer tail ; it is known as the Canadian 
Eufi'ed Grouse. 



CANADIAN SPRUCE GROUSE 251 

Canadian Spruce Grouse. Canachites canadensis 

canace 

15.00 

Ad. ^ . — Upper parts barred with Uack and gray; under parts 
black, many of the feathers bordered or tipped with white ; tail 
black, tipped with reddish-brown; a line of bare skin above the eye 
bright red. Ad. 9- — Upper parts barred with black, gray, and 
pale yellowish-brown; under parts whitish, barred with black. 

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, buffy or pale brownish, spotted 
with brown. 

The Spruce Partridge, as it is commonly called by the 
lumberman, to distinguish it from the Birch Partridge or 
Ruffed Grouse, is a permanent resident of the heavy conif- 
erous forests of northern New England and New York. 
It is rarely seen south of the White Mountains, and is no- 
where in New England at all common. It is found, as its 
name suggests, in dense swampy growths of spruce and fir. 
It is remarkably tame, allowing such a near approach that 
it should be impossible to confuse it with its relative, the 
Ruffed Grouse, which, except for its ruff, has hardly any of 
the black shade so characteristic of the Spruce Grouse. 

Bob-white ; Quail. Colinus virginianus 
10.00 

Ad. $. — Line over eye white, bordered above and below with 
black; top of head reddish-brown, mixed with black; back of neck 
reddisli-brown, mixed with white; back and ivings chiefly reddish- 
brown • tail gray ; throat ivhite ; band across upper breast black ; 
breast and belly white, barred with black; sides heavily washed 
with reddish-brown. Ad. 9- — Similar, but throat and line over 
eye buff; httle or no black on the breast. 

Nest, on the ground, in meadows or grain-fields. Eggs, white 
usually more or less stained with light brown. 

The Quail is a permanent resident of the Transition 
Zone, common in southern New England and the lower 
Hudson Valley, but rare or absent from the upland of west- 




252 BIRDS OF XEW EXGLAXD AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

em Massachusetts, and north of that State found only in 
the valleys where the winters are not severe. (See map, 

p. 15.) It frequents scrubby 
growth, where bushes alter- 
nate with small trees, espe- 
cially in the neighborhood 
of farming country. Here 
the male may be heard from 
May to August, whistling 
his vigorous Bob- White, or 
oli-B oh- White. When sing- 
ing, the male is often perched 
on a fence, wall, or limb of 
a tree, and an answer may bring him flying angrily up. 
Later in the summer and all through the fall a covey of 
birds, if scattered, call to each other by a note like the 
syllable quoit, suggesting a note of the guinea hen. 

Quail tracks may often be seen in the snow ; they are 
smaller than those of the Grouse, or Partridge, occur in 
more open country, and are generally more numerous, the 
Grouse being in winter a more solitary bird. When the 
Quail is startled, it flies with great speed, and then scales 
with wings bent downward in a sharp curve. The small size 
should distinguish a Quail from a Grouse when flying ; the 
latter, moreover, is not so richly colored, and has a much 
broader, fan-shaped tail, tipped with black. 



Fig. 73. Bob-white 



SHORE BIRDS : ORDER LIMICOL^ 

TURNSTONES : FAMILY APHRIZID-Sl 

E-UDDY TuKXSTOXE. Avenaria morinella 

9.50 

Ad. — Top of head grayish- white ; hreast and line about eye 
hlack ; back and wings warm reddish-brown, mottled with black; 



EUDDY TURNSTONE 253 

three stripes of white on the hack showing in flight; white showing 
in wings in flight ; legs red. hn. — Upper parts brown, streaked 
with gray ; lower back, wings, and tail in flight, similar to adult; 
sides of throat and breast dark brown; rest of under parts white. 

The Turnstone is a not uncommon migrant along the sea- 
coast in May, and again in August and September, feeding 
on the outer beaches either in small flocks by itself or in 
company with Ring-necks, Sanderling, and " Peep." It may 
readily be distinguished from any of these species by its 
size (it is larger than a King-neck) and by its striking colors. 
In the adult plumage, the black breast, rich reddish-brown 
back, and red feet are very noticeable when it is feeding, and 
when it flies the display of white, formed by stripes down 
the middle and sides of the back and along the wings, makes 
a striking pattern. The young birds may be known by the 
same pattern of white which shows in flight. The Turn- 
stone's call-note is a chuckling whistle. 



PLOVERS : FAMILY CHARADRIID^ 

Five species of Plover occur in New York and New Eng- 
land. The Killdeer is rare and occurs only as an accidental 
migrant or as a local summer resident. The Golden Plover 
is a regular autumn migrant, but is far less common than 
the Black-bellied Plover, and is becoming steadily rarer. 
The Black-bellied Plover, the Beetle-head of the gunners, 
is not uncommon on mud-flats and sand-bars. The Piping 
Plover breeds not uncommonly on the sandy beaches of 
Long Island and Martha's Vineyard, and sparingly on Cape 
Cod and on tlio Maine const ; it occurs also as a not uncom- 
mon migrant at other beaches in New England. The Semi- 
palmated Plover, tlie lling-neck of the sportsmen, is by far 
the commonest member of the family. It associates regu- 
larly with the smaller sandpipers, either on the beaches or 
in the sloughs in the marshes. Plover may be told from 



254 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

sandpipers by their shorter bills. All but the Black- 
bellied Plover have a habit of bobbing the head as they 
stand. 

Piping Plover, ^gialitis meloda 
7.00. Bill .50 

Ad. $ . — Forehead, throat, and ring around neck white ; for- 
ward part of crown black ; a partial ring, broken in the middle 
of the breast, black ; rest of upper parts light brownish-gray ; 
tip of tail black ; breast and belly white ; base of bill orange, 
tip black ; feet yellow. Ad. J . — Similar, but the black bars 
tending toward browuish, and less distinct. 

Eggs, laid in a hollow on little pebbles on the open sand, 
creamy white, speckled or spotted with dark brown. 

The Piping Plover is one of the few waders that breed 
on the coasts of New York and New England ; it may there- 
fore be looked for in June and early July, when there is 
only the Spotted Sandpiper from which it must be distin- 
guished. It also occurs as a reg- 
ular but not common migrant 
in April and May, and again 
in August and September. It 
breeds on the sand-beaches of 
Long Island, Martha's Vine- 
yard, and the adjoining islands, 
and sparingly on Cape Cod, at 
Ipswich, Mass., and on the 
i\Iaine coast. 

Its sweet but mournful call 
Fig. 74. Piping Plover consists of two notes, j^h^ee', 
the first very short and about half an interval above the 
second. The bird frequents the upper part of the beach, 
where its pale colors harmonize so perfectly with the dry 
sand that it is often invisible till it starts to fly. It bobs, 
like its relative the Semipalmated Plover, but may be dis- 




SEMIPALMATED PLOVER 255 

tinguished by its lighter color, and by the difference in the 
black collar, which in the Piping Plover does not cross the 
breast. 

Semipalmated Plover; Ring-neck. Mgialitis semi- 

jiolmata 

6.75. Bill .50 

Ad. — Forehead white ; forward part of crown, stripe under 
each eye and over bill black; throat and narrow ring around neck 
white ; hand across breast and neck black ; rest of upper parts 
grayish-brown ; rest of under parts white ; legs yellow ; base of 
bill orange ; tip black. 

The Semipalmated Plover, or Ring-neck, is a common 
migrant along the sea-coast in May, and again from the 
middle of July to October. 

Ring-necks frequent the 

beaches and mud-flats exposed 

at low tide. They are not, as a 

rule shy, and if startled, fly only 

a short distance, uttering as they 

rise a sweet call, chee-ivee, as 

characteristic of the mud-flats 

and beaches as the keiv, keiv, 

keiv, keiv of the Yellow-legs is 

of the grassy marshes. They ^ 

are often associated with the 

n , . , Fig. 75. Semipalmated Plover 

smaller sandpipers known as 

"Peep" (see p. 267), or with their larger relative the 

Black-bellied Plover ; their bobbing readily distinguishes 

them from the Peep. They are much commoner than the 

Piping Plover, and are a darker shade of brown on the 

back, the color of Avet rather than of dry sand. The 

black ring encircles the breast, while in tlie Piping 

Plover the black bands from each side of the breast do 

not meet. 




256 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

KiLLDEER. Oxyechus vociferus 
10.50 

Ad. — Head and back brown ; ring entirely around neck white, 
edged on the hind neck with black ; forehead, stripe over eye, 
throat, and lower parts white ; two black bands across breast, the 
lower one narrow ; rump and base of tail cinnamon. 

Nest, on ground. Eggs, buffy- white, with chocolate markings, 
chiefly at the larger end. 

The Killdeer is a rare summer resident in southeastern 
Massachusetts and Ehode Island, and a rare spring and 

fall migrant along 
the coast. It occa- 
sionally appears in 
western Massachu- 
setts, and on Long 
Island has been re- 
corded in every 
month but January. 
In the breeding sea- 
son it is noisy and 
restless, continually 
uttering the com- 
plaining kill-dee, 
from which it gets 
its name, and occa- 
FiG. 76. Killdeer sionally a rolling 

whistle a little like that of the Upland Plover. Like most 
of the plovers, it bobs constantly. It may be readily distin- 
guished from the smaller E-ing-necks hy the tivo bands of 
black and by the cinnamon rump and base of tail, which 
are conspicuous in flight. 

The Killdeer's wings are long and narrow, and its flight 
graceful and vigorous, suggesting somewhat that of the 
Sparrow-Hawk. 




AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER 257 

American Golden Plover. Charadrius dominicus 

10.50. Bill .90 

Ad. in breeding plumage. — Top of head and upper parts black, 
spotted with bright yellow and white ; tail dark grayish-brown, 
barred with white, tinged with yellow ; a white line from fore- 
head passes over the eyes, and broadens into a wide patch on the 
side of the breast ; sides of head, neck, throat, and under parts 
black. Ad. in late summer and fall. — Upper parts as in spring, but 
duller ; under parts white, with a few grayish-brown feathers on 
neck and breast. Im. — Upper parts dusky, mottled with dull 
whitish spots, becoming yellow on the rump ; under parts ashy, 
especially on neck and breast. 

The Golden Plover is a migrant along the coast, ex- 
tremely rare in spring and rather rare in fall, passing north 
in May, and returning from the end of August to Novem- 
ber. It is occasionally found on the fiats left bare by the 
tide, but is more likely to occur well up on the beach, or 
still more frequently on the short grass of marshes or hill- 
sides, especially where the ground has been burned over. 

The call of the Golden Plover is a bright whistle, queep, 
quee-lee-leep , without the mournful character of the Black- 
belly's call, and with no modulation. It has also a note 
like the syllable queedle. Immature birds resemble young 
Black-bellied Plover, but are much less common. They 
may be distinguished at close range by the absence of the 
whitish tail, and of the white in the outspread wings. Tlie 
Golden Plover bobs regularly and the Black-belly rarely, 
if ever. 

Black-bellied Plover ; Beetle-head. Squatarola 

sqiiatarohi 

11.00. Bill 1.10 

Ad. in, spring. — Hind head and back black, spotted and 
barred with white; tail white, barred with brownish-black ; icingit 
showing ivhite infiight; sides of head and nook, throat and bronst, 
and upper belly black, bordered by white on each side, the white 



258 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

border meeting over the forehead; feathers under the raised wings 
black. Ad. in late summer and fall. — Upper parts dark brown, 
speckled with white; under parts white, with an occasional black 
feather ; t.ail and wings as in spring. Im. — Upper parts lighter 
and with a golden shade on each feather; under parts white. 

The Black-bellied Plover is a rather common migrant 
along the coast in spring and fall, passing north in May, 




Fig. 77. Black-bellied Plover, Immature 

and returning from late July to November. The young 
birds which appear in August are called Beetle-heads by 
the gunners ; as they are more numerous than the adults 
and far less wary, they are more often seen by students. 
Both old and young frequent the mud-flats and sand-bars 
left bare by the tide ; here they feed either alone or in 
company with Bing-necks, Turnstones, and Peep. They 
scatter when feeding like Bing-necks and stand about head- 
ing in different directions, or after a short run, pick some- 
thing from the sand. So far as I know, they do not bob, 
though all our other plovers do. 

The notes of the Black-belly are among the most musical 
uttered by shore-birds ; the call most often heard, either 



BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER 259 

from flying or standing birds, consists of three syllables, all 
legato, the first prolonged, the second a bit lower and short, 
the last higher than the first. They are not unlike the 
toor-a-ivee of a bluebird, but are lower in pitch,, more pro- 
longed and mournful. When feeding with other birds, the 
Black-bellies may easily be distinguished by their greater 
size ; the whitish tail and the white in the wing readily 
identify them in flight. It is quite possible for a sharp 
eye to note the black axillars, — the long feathers close to 
the body under the raised wing, — either just as the bird 
raises his wings to fly, or as he takes his strokes. 



SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. : FAMILY 
SCOLOPACIDiE 

The Sandpipers constitute a numerous family, many of 
which are so rare on our northeastern coast that only an 
inveterate gunner can hope to find them. There are about 
seventeen species which occur in New York and New Eng- 
land regularly. These may all be distinguished after a certain 
amount of practice without the use of a gun. One species, 
the Woodcock, is rarely found away from the cover of trees 
or bushes, and several other species occur inland more com- 
monly than along the coast. The Snipe frequents fresh- 
water marshes. The Upland Plover (really a Sandpiper) 
breeds on upland pastures, chiefly in New Hampshire and 
Vermont, but occurs as a migrant on grassy hills along the 
coast. The Solitary Sandpiper is a regular migrant inland, 
and the Spotted Sandpiper, though a very common summer 
resident along the coast, is equally common on inland ponds 
and streams. The other Sandpipers are preeminently sea- 
shore birds, though like the sea ducks they not infiv(|uently 
visit large bodies of fresh water. Several' of tlicni, includ- 
ing the two YelloM'-legs and the Pectoral Sandpiper, are 
birds of the marshes, feeding in the pools that abound 



260 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

throughont the tall salt-marsh grass. The Least Sandpiper, 
though frequent on the beaches, is more common on the 
pools or sloughs in the marshes. The Semipalmated Sand- 
piper, the White-rumped Sandpiper, the Sanderling, the 
Knot, and the Dunlin feed either on the beach at the very- 
edge of the ocean, or on extensive mud-flats. The Curlew 
is rare ; it may be met with either on the beach, particu- 
larly on a muddy shore, or on a grassy upland. The Purple 
Sandpiper is a winter visitant, and keeps to rocky ledges 
generally well off shore. Many of the shore-birds return 
very early from the north ; after the first week in July 
there is a constant succession of them. The Dunlin comes 
in September, and the Winter Yellow-legs stays till late in 
the fall. The young birds appear considerably later than 
the old ones, and are much less suspicious. 

Sandpipers fly in flocks, often made up of several species, 
and frequently accompanied by their relatives, the Plover 
(see p. 253). They are easily decoyed, especially where they 
are not made wild by constant shooting. There are two 
methods of studying them ; one is to lie concealed in a 
blind before which stand decoys, among which the birds 
alight, if attracted by an imitation of their whistle ; the 
other method is to walk along the beach or over the marsh, 
taking advantage of natural shelter and stalking the birds 
that may be feeding here and there. Many of the smaller 
birds may in this latter way be successfully observed. 

It must be borne in mind that many of the following 
species, though termed common, are not common, except in 
just the places best suited to them. These places, moreover, 
are in the possession of sportmen's clubs or hotels, and the 
birds that light here are pretty thoroughly shot off; one 
may therefore see more Knots, for instance, in the ice- 
chest of such a hotel than in many days' tramping over less 
favorable ground. A Sunday spent at Monomoy or at 
some famous Long Island resort would be very profitable, 



HUDSONIAN CURLEW 261 

especially if one hired a gunner (without his gun) and oc- 
cupied a blind. 

HuDSONiAN Curlew; Jack Curlew. Numenius hud- 

sonicus 

17.00. Bill 3.75 

Ad. — Top of head blackish, with a central whitish stripe; line 

over eye white; line through eye brown; rest of upper parts and 

tail brown, speckled with white; throat and belly white; neck 

and breast thickly streaked with dusky. Bill long and curved. 

The Hudsonian Curlew is a rather uncommon migrant 
along the coast in May, and again in August and Septem- 
ber. It occurs on mud-flats and on sandy beaches, either 
at the edge of the water or walking in the shallow pools, 
picking up food from the water with the head apparently 
held sidewise. It often stands when undisturbed, with 
one leg uplifted and crooked, or squats with its breast on 
the sand. It also frequents grassy hills near the sea. In 
spring the curlew utters a sweet mournful cry, like the 
syllables kur-lew ; its ordinary call-note and cry when 
startled sounds like pip-pip-pip-pij?. The general brotvn 
tone of the ^jZ«m«(7e and the long curved bill make it 
impossible to mistake the Jack Curlew for anything except 
a smaller species, the Eskimo Curlew, which was formerly 
common, but is now extremely rare. 

Spotted Sandpiper. Actitis macula via 

7.50. Bill .95 

. Ad. — Upper parts light brown; under parts white; every- 
where marked with roundish spots of blackish • a row of white 
spots on the wings show in flight as a white stripe ; the outer 
tail-feathers barred with white. Im. — The under parts white, 
unspotted, washed on the breast with grayisli. 

Nest, on the ground, of dried grasses and straw, in a flold or 
pasture, often at some distance from water. Eggs, bufty, thickly 
speckled with dark brown and black. 



262 BIRDS OF NEAV ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

The Spotted Sandpiper is a common summer resident 
of New England and New York, along the coast and also 
along the margins of inland ponds and streams, arriving late 
in April and staying till late in October. It is the only 
bird with the long bill and legs of a sandpiper regularly 
found on inland waters in June and early July, and, except 
the Solitary Sandpiper, is at any season the only sandpiper 
commonly seen on the margins of small inland ponds and 
rivers. On the ground, its tail and the hinder part of its 
body are repeatedly tipped upward ; when it flies, its long 
narrow wings after a few strokes are held so as to form a 
crescent, which swings first to one side and then to the 
other close over the water. 

As it flies it utters a loud peep, peep, peep, or peet-weet, 
a sound often heard in the gathering dusk from lake or 
sea. At close range the spots on the under parts of the 
adult can be readily made out, but at a distance they 
hardly show, and in the young bird they are absent. The 
ivhite along the icing, however, is conspicuous in flight, 
and helps to distinguish the Spotted from the Solitary 
Sandpiper. The difference in the tail-feathers is described 
under the Solitary Sandpiper (see p. 264.) 

Bartkamian Sandpiper ; Upland Plover. Bartra- 

mia longicauda 

11.50. Bill 1.15 

Ad. — Upper parts a mixture of black and bufpy-brown; outer 
tail-feathers barred with white, black, and reddish-brown; tail 
reaching considerably beyond the tips of the wings; breast and 
sides buffy, streaked with black; belly white. 

Nest, a depression in the ground. Eggs, buff, or buffy-white, 
speckled with dark brown Or purplish, chiefly around the larger 
end. 

The Upland Plover occurs as a migrant on the grassy 
hills along the sea-shore in May, and again in August and 



WILLET 263 

early September. It breeds on grassy hillsides or fields, 
chiefly in the uplands of Xew England, though not now so 
commonly as formerly. A few breed on Long Island, on 
Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and in Worcester, Berk- 
shire, and Barnstable counties, Mass. ; in southern Ver- 
mont and New Hampshire it is generally distributed, though 
nowhere common. 

As one goes through a mowing-field, a large bird springs 
up with a rolling whistle, and flies anxiously about on long 
curved wings, finally alighting on some heap of stones or 
some other point of observation ; just after alighting it 
stretches both wings to their utmost up over its back. At 
night its long mournful song is heard overhead or from the 
moonlit fields. The long neck and rather long bill, the 
general sandpiper appearance, will serve to identify it easily 
in its grassy summer home, where no other similar bird 
will be met. On the shore it can be told by its size, its 
rolling whistle, its lack of marked white, and its preference 
for grassy hillsides. 

WiLLET. Symphemia semipalmata 

15.00. Bill 2.15 

Ad. in summer. — Upper parts brownish-gray; lower parts 
white; fore neck and upper breast streaked with dusky, the sides 
barred with buff; wing blackish, showing when spread a conspicu- 
ous patch of white ; basal half of the tail white. Ad. in win- 
ter. — Upper parts ash-gray; under parts white; wing as in sum- 
mer. Im. — Upper parts brownish-gray, tinged with buft'; sides 
tinged with buff, finely mottled with gray; wings as in adult. 

The Willet is a rare migrant along the sea-coast in August 
and early September. Along the Sound stragglers are some- 
times seen in May, and very rarely in summer. The great 
contrast of black and white in the outstretched wing readily 
distinguishes the Willet. Tlie much commoner Black-bellied 
Plover also shows white in the wings and at the base of 



264 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTEEN NEW YORK 

the tail, but should be distinguished by its shorter legs and 
much shorter bill. (See Fig. 77.) 

Solitary Saxdpiper. Helodromas soUtarius 

8.40. Bill 1.15 

Ad. in spring. — Upper parts olive-brown, sparsely speckled 
with white; front of neck streaked with dusky; outer tail-feathers 
white, barred with black ; wing not showing a row of white spots 
in flight. Ad. in fall. — Upper parts dark ashy, even less 
speckled with white ; front of neck less streaked with dusky. 
Im. — Upper parts brownish-gray, everywhere speckled with 
white ; sides of head and neck dusky ; rest of under parts white ; 
tail as in adult ; legs greenish. 

The Solitary Sandpiper is a not uncommon migrant 

throughout Kew York and ISTew England, passing north in 

May, and returning in late July, 

August, and September. It is the 

only sandpiper except the Spotted, 

which occurs regularly away from 

the sea-coast or from extensive 

bodies of water. In fact, it may be 

found as a migrant near any ditch 

Fig. 78. Tail of Solitary or pool of stagnant water, and 

seems to prefer a muddy shore to 

the pebbly beaches which the Spotted Sandpiper haunts. 

Its notes are almost identical with those of the Spotted 
Sandpiper. It sometimes occurs in sloughs on the marshes, 
and might there be confused with the Summer Yellow-legs. 
Its tail, however, distinguishes it both from the Yellow- 
legs and from the Spotted Sandpiper. The central pair of 
feathers are dark, but the outer ones are white, barred with 
black ; it therefore shows much more white in the out- 
spread tail as it flies up than the Spotted Sandpiper, but 
less than the Yellow-legs. Moreover, it lacks the line of 
white in the wdng which is so characteristic of the Spotted 




YELLOW-LEGS 265 

Sandpiper^ and its flight is generally higher and wilder. 
(See Spotted Sandpiper, p. 262.) Like the Yellow-legs, it 
constantly nods its head and neck. 

Yellow-legs; Summer Yellow-legs. Totanus flavipes 
10.75. Bill 1.40 
Closely resembles the following species. 

The Summer Yellow-legs is a rather common fall migrant 
off the coast of New York and New England ; it is very 
rare in spring. It resembles its larger relative, the Winter 
Yellow-legs, very closely, both in appearance and habits, 
but differs slightly in its notes. (See the following species.) 

Greater Yellow-legs ; Winter Yellow-legs. Tota- 

nics melanoleuGus 

14.00. Bill 2.20 

Ad. in spring. — Upper parts blackish and pale gray, speckled 
with white ; basal half of the tail white. Under parts white, 
streaked in the throat with dusky, and on the breast and sides 
spotted and barred with gray. Ad. m winter and Im. — Similar, 
but without the blackish on the upper parts; under parts streaked 
only on the neck and upper breast ; legs yellow. 

The Winter Yellow-legs is a common migrant along the 
coast, making the longest stay of any of our non-resident 
shore-birds ; it is found from the middle of April through 
May, and from the middle of July through October. It fre- 
quents grassy marshes, but may be seen or heard on almost 
any muddy flat. 

Its loud whistled note, A'u, hi, hi, lT(, is a familiar sound 
and calls our attention to its long slender form higli over 
head. When it lights, it bobs its head frequently, like the 
Solitary Sandpiper and the Eing-neck. Its long slender 
legs and long bill are conspicuous. When it rises, its white 
upper tail-coverts are an excellent fleld-mark ; the Bhick- 



266 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

bellied Plover has the same mark, but the bird is of a very 
different figure, with a bill only half as long. The Summer 
Yellow-legs, which is here during July and September, 
resembles its relative very closely, and if the two are not 
present at the same time, might be mistaken for the larger 
bird. The call of the Summer Yellow-legs, however, is al- 
most always shorter ; it utters often but a single ku, often 
two (the second lower than the first), more rarely three. 
The Winter Yellow-legs is always a wary bird, much less 
tame than the Summer Yellow-legs. 

Sanderltng. Calidris arenaria 

8.00. Bill 1.00 

Ad. in spring. — Upper parts grayish- white, each feather spotted 
with black, and edged with chestnut; rump dark brown; tail gray- 
ish-brown; sides of head, throat, neck, breast washed with rusty 
brown, and spotted with black; rest of under parts white; wings 
when spread show a line of white. Ad. in late summer and fall. — 
Upper parts pale gray, the centre of each feather black; under 
parts pure white. Im. — Upper parts gray, spotted with black 
and white ; hind neck dusky white ; throat and breast washed with 
buff; rest of under parts white ; wings as in ad. 

The Sanderling is a very common migrant along the 
coast in spring and fall ; it winters very sparingly on Cape 
Cod and on Muskeget Island. It passes north in the latter 
part of May, and returns from July to the end of October. 
It is strictly a bird of the outer sandy beaches. A flock of 
Sanderlings will often form a long line at the edge of the 
water and follow the receding surf, probing the ground with 
feverish haste, and all running back at the last moment ; 
one or two are sometimes caught by the wave and forced 
to fly. 

The Sanderling's note is a sharp chit. The gunners' 
name, " Whitey," well describes the Sanderling, especially 
in late summer and fall, when no trace of the rusty brown 
remains. The ichitish look about the head and the black 



SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER 267 

hill, the size, larger than the little Semipalmated Sandpiper, 
so often associated with it, serve to identify it when at rest. 
When flyiiig, the line of conspicuous white spots in the 
wing, like the Spotted Sandpiper's, is an excellent field- 
mark. 

Semipalmated Sandpiper. Ereunetes pusillus 

6.30. Bill .65 -.80 

Ad. in spring. — Under parts brownish-gray, mixed with black; 
breast spotted with black; rest of lower parts white; legs black. 
Ad. in fall. — Upper parts plain grayish; breast unspotted. Im. 
— Upper parts gray, mixed with black and a little reddish- 
brown; under parts white, a dusky wash across the breast. 

The Semipalmated Sandpiper is a common migrant along 
the sea-coast in May, July, August, and September. It not 
infrequently occurs on the shores of inland lakes, and is an 
abundant fall migrant in the Hudson Valley. Gunners call 
this species and the Least Sandpiper, with which it often 
associates, *^Peep." 

The Least prefer the sloughs or muddy pools in the 
marshes ; the Semipalmated frequent the beaches, but both 
species may occur in either place. Both species associate 
with Sanderling on the beach, and with White-rumped Sand- 
pipers and Ring-necks both on the beach and in the marsh. 
When with Ring-necks, the difference in behavior is amus- 
ing : the Ring-necks scatter about and stand in thouglitful 
attitudes; the Peep feed with nervous haste, head down, 
and bill in the sand. 

When startled, the Semipalmated Sandpipers utter a little 
rough peep, and fly in compact bands further up the beach ; 
they have also a very pretty whinnying note, and in May 
occasionally utter the love-song, a series of sweet notes de- 
livered in the air. When the Least and Semipalmated 
Sandpipers occur side by side, it is evident that the former 
has more chestnut-brown in the back, and a darker wash on 



268 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

the sides of the neck, but it is almost impossible to distin- 
guish the two without shooting them, unless one can get 
near enough to see the color of the legs. Dr. C. W. Tow^n- 
send has called my attention to the fact that the legs of 
the Least Sandpiper are greenish-yellow, while the Semi- 
palmated Sandpiper has black legs. 

Eed-backed Sandpiper ; Dunlin. Pelidna aljnna 

pacifica 

8.00. Bill 1.50 

Ad. in spring. — Back and wings tinged with considerable 
reddish- brown; head, neck, and breast light gray; belly black; 
hill slightly curved. Ad. in fall. — Upper parts ashy-gray; lower 
parts white ; neck and upper breast tinged with gray ; bill slightly 
curved. Im. — Back blackish, the feathers bordered with rusty; 
head and neck dull buff, streaked with dusky; breast buffy-white, 
streaked with black; belly white, spotted with black; bill as in ad. 

The Dunlin is a rare spring and not uncommon autumn 
migrant along the coast, occurring in ]\Iay, and from the 




Fig. 79. Red-backed Sandpiper 

middle of September to December. It feeds on the outer 
sand-beaches and mud-fiats, either alone or in company Avith 
Sanderling and plover. Its note may be written i^eiirr. 



LEAST SANDPIPER 269 

Specimens showing the red backs and black belly are not 
often seen, but the fall birds may be distinguished by the 
plain ashy tone of the upper parts, and especially by the 
bill, which has a slight hut distinct doivnivard curve. 

Least Sandpiper. Actodromas minutilla 

6.00. Bill .75 

Ad. — Feathers of the head and back black, edged with gray 
or chestnut ; sides of head, neck, and breast streaked with 
brown ; belly white ; legs greenish-yellow. Im. — Upper parts 
much as in adult ; breast dusky, very indistinctly streaked with 
darker ; rest of under parts white. 

The Least Sandpiper is a common migrant along the 
coast in May, and again in July, August, and early 
September. Like the other common sandpipers, it occa- 
sionally occurs on inland ponds and rivers, and it is toler- 
ably common in the Hudson Valley in May. This species 
and the Semipalmated Sandpiper are the iirst to return 
from the north, reaching Massachusetts early in July. By 
the end of August it has nearly completed its migration, 
though the Semipalmated Sandpiper is found throughout 
September. For an account of the habits of the two, see 
p. 267. 

White-rumped Sandpiper. Actodromas fuscicollis 

7.50 

Ad. — Upper parts brownish-gray, the feathers spotted with 
black in spring ; base of tail pure lohite ; under parts white ; 
sides of head, neck, and breast streaked, especially in spring, 
with dusky. Im. — Similar, but feathers of back tipped with 
white, and edged with reddish-brown ; breast grayish. 

The White-rumped Sandjupor is a not uncommon migrant 
along the coast in May, and from the middle of July to the 
middle of October. It frequents the sandy beaches, marshy 
pools, and the mud-flats, consorting with the other " Peep," 



270 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

from which its greater size and the pure white base of the 
tail readily distinguish it. 

Pectoral Sandpiper ; Grass Bird. Actodromas 

maculata 

9.00. Bill 1.15 

Ad. in spring. — Upper parts gray tinged with rusty and 
speckled with brownish-black ; rump and base of tail brownish- 
black, tipped with reddish-buff; central tail-feathers dark, outer 
ones lighter; sides of neck, and breast pale buff, streaked with 
dusky ; rest of under parts white. Ad. in fall. — Similar, but the 
rusty tinge on the upper parts wanting. Im. — Feathers of upper 
back tipped with white; breast more buffy. 

The Pectoral Sandpiper, the Grass Bird or Krieker of 
the sportsmen, is a migrant in spring and fall, generally 
not uncommon, and occasionally abundant. It passes north 
in April and May, and returns from the end of July to 
October. It is strictly a bird of the grassy marshes, rarely 
appearing on the mud-flats or sand-bars. After a flock 
lights, the birds generally scatter over the marsh, and when 
approached crouch on the ground like snipe, till one is 
almost on them. When they fly, they utter a sharp hvick- 
krick. The male is considerably larger than the female ; 
both look like a large edition of the Least Sandpiper. 

Purple Sandpiper. Arqiiatella maritima 

9.00. BilI1.40 

Ad. in winter. — Upper parts dark gray, with a bluish gloss in 
strong light ; throat and breast dark gray ; belly and under sides 
of the wings white ; sides streaked with dark gray. 

The Purple Sandpiper, or Winter Snipe of the gunners, 
occurs as a winter visitant to the rocky shores of New Eng- 
land and of Long Island, arriving in September and leaving 
in Pebruary or ]\Iarch. It finds its food on rocky ledges 
exposed by the falling tide, and occurs most frequently on 



KNOT 271 

small outlying rocky islets, such as Gull Kocks at Cohasset, 
Mass., and Cormorant Eock, south of Rhode Island. It is 
generally found in small flocks, which permit a very near 
approach. Its note is a whistling twitter. The fact that no 
other sandpiper occurs in such localities in winter makes it 
very easy to identify, even if its grayish color^ sJiort legs, 
and squat figure did not distinguish it. 

Knot. Tringa canutus 

10.50. Bill 1.30 

Ad. in spring. — Upper parts gray, spotted with black and 
reddish-brown ; rump and base of tail lighter ; sides of head and 
under parts bay. Ad. in fall. — Upper parts bluish-gray ; rump 
and base of tail white, barred with black ; under parts bay, blotched 
with white. Im. — Upper parts as in fall adult ; under parts 
white, without any bay ; throat and breast streaked with dusky. 

The Knot is a common migrant along the coast in May, 
and again in July, August, and September. It frequents 
mud-flats and sand-bars, but is also commonly found on the 
outer beaches. It is either stupid or else very unsuspicious, 
and allows a near approach. Old birds are easily recognized 
by their bay breasts ; they may be readily distinguished 
from adult Dowitchers, which also have reddish-brown 
breasts, by the light color of their upper parts and by their 
much shorter bill. Young birds have light under parts, and 
must be recognized by the general light gray tone of the 
upper parts and the still luhiter tail. Their note has been 
described as like the soft whit whit that one uses in 
whistling a dog back. 

Stilt Sandpiper. Micropalama himantopus 

8.25. Bill 1.55 

Ad. in fall and winter. — Upper parts brownish-gray; line over 
eye and under parts white; neck and breast streaked witli gray; 
tail white; legs yellowish-green. Im. — Similar, but upper parts 
blackish, the feathers bordered with buff. 



272 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

The Stilt Sandpiper is a migrant along the coast, very 
rare in New England in spring, and generally rare in the 
autumn, but commoner on Long Island. It generally occurs 
late in July, in August, or early in September. It frequents 
both beach and marsh. It is commonly associated with the 
Summer Yellow-legs, which it resembles in appearance and 
behavior ; it may be distinguished by the greater contrast of 
its small size with its length of leg, and at close range by 
its yelloiuish-greeji legs. 

DowiTCHER. Macrorhamph'iis griseus 

10.50. Bill 2.25 

Ad. in spring. — Upper parts mixed black and bufpy ; rump 
aud tail white, spotted with black; sides of head and under parts 
pinkish-brown, finely spotted with black. Ad. in fall. — Head 
and back pale slate-gray; wings dark gray, spotted with whitish; 
throat and breast brownish-gray ; belly white ; rump and tail white, 
barred with black. Im. — Upper parts black, mixed with reddish- 
brown; rump and tail as in adult; under parts washed with bu£E 
and indistinctly speckled with dusky. 

The Dowitcher is a rather common migrant along the coast 
in May, and again in July, August, and early September. It 
frequents mud-flats and sand-bars, is very tame, and gener- 
ally occurs in close flocks. It may be known by its long hill, 
dark back, and silvery gray lower hack, rump, and tail. 
Old birds in May and July have pale reddish breasts, but the 
young birds in August and September have light under parts. 

Wilson's Snipe. Gallinago delicata 
11.25. Bill 2.50 

Ad. — Middle of crown black, divided by a bufPy line, and 
separated by two narrow buffy stripes from two brown lines run- 
ning from the bill to the eyes ; back and wings a mixture of black, 
reddish-brown, and white; tail reddish-brown, barred with black ; 
throat gray ; breast brown, streaked with black ; sides gray, 
barred with black; belly white. 



WOODCOCK 273 

The Snipe is a rather common migrant through New 
York and New England in late March, April, September, 
and October. It winters sparingly in springy places in south- 
ern New England and the lower Hudson Valley, and breeds 
in northeastern Maine. The Snipe is found in fresh water 
marshes and wet meadows ; it lies concealed in the shelter 
of a tuft of grass, trusting to its coloration for protection, 
until .one is almost upon it, when it rises with a harsh. 
scaipe, and goes twisting off. 

In the spring, and occasionally in the fall, the Snipe rises 
at dusk over the marshes and utters a muffled sound, which 
has been termed bleating, but has a distinct suggestion of 
air winnowed by feathers. The Snipe may occasionally be 
seen on cloudy afternoons in spring, flying back and forth, 
rising and falling in great curves, uttering this sound, which 
appears to come at the end of each descent. Its lo7ig hill 
and the Mack, white, and reddish-hroivn of its tail serve 
to distinguish it readily from any other bird of the open 
meadow. 

Woodcock. Philohela minor 
11.00. Bill 2.90 

Ad. — Back of head black, barred with rusty yellow; rest of 
upper parts grayish-brown, mixed with black; dark line from the 
eye to the bill; under parts huffy, tinged especially on t\\Q Jianks 
with cinnamon ^ tail black, tipped with white; eye large. 

Nest, on the ground. Eggs, bufpy, spotted with reddish-brown 
and purplish-gray. 

The Woodcock is a summer resident of New York and 
New England, formerly common, but now becoming rare. 
It arrives early in March, and stays till November. It feeds 
in low swampy woodland, where it bores for worms in the 
soft mud. In the fall it is often Hushed from rather dry 
woodland. When it rises, it almost always makes a whistling 
sound, presumably with its wings. 



274 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

In March and April the males execute their interesting 
flight-song. From the low ground near some rocky pasture, 
as dusk approaches, a harsh peent is heard, like a Night- 
hawk's cry. This is repeated a number of times, and then 
from the sky oyerhead there issues a series of whistling 
sounds, interspersed with liquid notes like the syllables 
whit, ivhit, whit. Then the ])eents begin again from the 
ground. If an observer conceals himself near the open space 
where the harsh i^eent is now heard, he will see the bird 
come shooting down at the end of the flight and will see it 
on the ground, facing now in one direction, and now in an- 
other, as it utters the peents. If near enough, he will also 
hear a curious pj^ tul, sometimes repeated several times in the 
intervals between the harsh cries. The bird rises a number 
of times, repeating the performance till it grows quite dark ; 
then all is silent. If the same spot is visited before dawn, 
the performance may be witnessed to still greater advantage, 
as it will grow steadily lighter instead of darker. 

When a woodcock is flushed in the daytime, the long bill 
and the short black tail are excellent field-marks. The snipe 
is the only bird likely to be mistaken for it, but the wood- 
cock is nearly always found in the cover of tree or bushes, 
while the snipe lies in open marshy ground or meadows. 

PHALAROPES : FAMILY PHALAROPODID^ 

Two Phalaropes occur off the coast of New York and 
New England. Sometimes they are blown inland in large 
flocks, but they are generally found many miles from land, 
feeding on floating sea-weed or swimming lightly on the 
ocean, but rising and flying ofl" like sandpipers, when dis- 
turbed by the approach of a vessel. The female Phalarope 
is larger and more brightly colored than the male ; she is 
said to do the courting, and to leave the task of incubation 
to the male. 



NORTHEEN PHALAROPE 275 

Northern Phalarope. Plialaropus lohatus 

1.1^. Bill .85 

Ad. 9 *^ summer. — Top and sides of head and upper back 
bluish-gray; sides of neck rich rusty brown; wings dark, with a 
bar of white ; throat white ; breast bluish-gray, tinged with rich 
rusty brown; belly white. Ad. $ in summer. — Similar, but duller; 
upper parts blackish-brown, streaked with buff. Ad. ^ and ^ in 
winter. — Forehead, stripe over eye, and under parts white ; top of 
head, back, and wings grayish. Im. — Similar, but upper parts 
blacker; breast washed with brownish. 

The Northern Phalarope is a regular migrant along the 
sea-coast in May, August, and September, but occurs generally 
so far out at sea that it is rarely observed from the shore. 
It is only when blown out of its course by storms that it is 
seen in the outer bays and harbors, or off the beaches. Occa- 
sionally it is found some distance inland, particularly on 
the lakes of Maine. Large flocks of Phalaropes are often 
observed from vessels crossing to the Maritime Provinces or 
from trans-Atlantic liners. The birds ride easily or grace- 
fully on the water, or when disturbed rise and fly off in a 
compact body, their long wings and manner of flight 
reminding one at once of their relationship to the sandpipers. 
They are called '^ Sea-geese " by the fishermen, from their 
habit of stretching out their long necks when alarmed. 

To distinguish the Northern Phalarope from the following 
species, when not in the breeding plumage, is difficult, espe- 
cially at sea, where absolute size counts for so little. The 
Red Phalarope shows more black on the top of the head and in 
the wings, and is much less frequently seen near the shore. 

Ked Phalarope. Crj/mopJrilus fa/lcarius 

8.12. Bill .87. 

Ad. ^ in breeding plumage. — Top of head black; patch about 
eye white; back streaked with black and yellowish-brown; wings 
black and white; throat bluish-slate; rest of under parts deep 
pinkish-cinnamon; rump tinged with same. Ad. $ in breeding 



276 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

plumage. — Resembles the 9? but duller; the black on the crown 
marked with yellowish-brown. Ad. 9 and ^ in winter. — Fore- 
head white ; crown black, streaked with white ; hind neck grayish- 
brown; middle of back dark gray; wings black and white; under 
parts white. Im. — Similar, but with more black and yellowish- 
brown on the back. 

The Red Phalarope occurs, like the preceding species, as 
a spring and fall migrant, far out at sea, and is only rarely 
blown in by severe storms. In breeding plumage it is easily 
recognized, but in the fall it is hard to distinguish it from 
the preceding species except by its greater size. 

RAILS, ETC. : ORDER PALUDICOL^ 

RAILS, GALLINULES, AND COOTS: FAMILY 
RALLIDiE 

Two species of Rail breed throughout New York and 
New England, in extensive swamps of grass or cat-tails. 
They are largely nocturnal in their habits, and, though very 
noisy, they are rarely seen. The Florida Gallinule is a rare 
summer resident of southern New York and New England 
in the reed-grown margins of shallow ponds ; it is diurnal, 
and either walks or swims. The Coot is a migrant, chiefly 
in the autumn ; its general appearance is that of a duck. 
For a full account of the notes of the two Rails, see Mr. 
Brewster's "Voices of a New England Marsh," "Bird- 
Lore," vol. iv. p. 43. 

American Coot. Fulica americana 

15.00 

Ad. — Head and neck blackish; body, wings, and tail slate- 
gray, paler below; wing when spread shows a little white; hill 
whitish, tipped with brown. Im. — Similar, but much whiter 
below. Bill dull flesh-color. 

The name Coot is applied at the sea-shore to the Scoters, 
a genus of sea-ducks, but the bird known as Coot on small 



FLOEIDA GALLINULE 277 

inland waters, though in general resembling a duck, is a 
relative of the rails and gallinules, with lobed and not 
webbed feet. It is a migrant through New York and New 
England, rare in New England in April, but fairly common 
from late September to November. In the Hudson Valley- 
it is said to be common from the end of April to the mid- 
dle of May. It frequents the swampy borders of lakes or 
sluggish streams, where it seeks the shelter of bushes and 
reeds. When several Coot are together, they often play on 
the water, and frequently run along the surface, making a 
loud splattering noise. A bird often stands up full length 
out of the water, shows its ungainly form, and then sinks 
forward into the water. In feeding, a Coot dives readily, 
and pulls up the aquatic plants from the shallow bottom. 
It swims freely but generally with a backward and forward 
motion of the head, which distinguishes it from a duck. 
Langille, who studied the Coot on its breeding ground, 
describes it as '^ decidedly a noisy bird, its coo-coo-coo-coo 
being heard both day and night. It also has a squack simi- 
lar to the quack of a duck. As a migrant, however, it is 
generally silent. The white hill is the best field-mark, and 
is particularly noticeable when the bird faces the observer. 



Florida Gallinule. Gallinula galeata 
13.50 

Ad. — Head and neck blackish ; rest of body slate-gray, washed 
on the back with brown and on the belly with white ; under tail- 
coverts white; hill and forehead bright red, the former tipped with 
greenish-yellow. Im. — Siniihir, but under parts suffused with 
white; bill and forehead brownish. 

Nest, of cat-tail flags , floating on the water or on a bed of flags. 
Eggs, buff or buffy-brown, sparsely spotted with brown. 

The Florida Gallinule is a rare summer resident of south- 
ern New England and the Hudson Valley, arriving in i\[ay, 



278 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

and staying till October. It inhabits the reed-bordered 

shores of lakes or ponds, either swimming like a duck or 

walking in the shal- 
lows like a rail. Its 
notes are very hen- 
like. It may be 
known by its red, 
yelloiu - tipped hill 
and a plate of 
hright red on the 
front of its head. 
Its tail is constantly 
cocked, and shows 

a patch of white beneath it. (See Brewster, " Auk/' vol. viii. 

pp. 1-7, for a full account of the habits and notes of the 

Florida Gallinule.) 




Fig. 80. Florida Gallinule 



SoRA ; Carolina Eail. Porzana Carolina 
8.50. Bill .80 

Ad. — Top of head brown, a blackish stripe through the centre; 
back, wings, and tail brown, streaked with black and a little 
white; sides of head, line over eye, and breast ash-gray; fore- 
head, region about the base of the bill, middle of throat, and 
breast black ; belly white ; hill shorty yellow. Im. — Upper parts 
dark brown, mixed on the back with black and a little white ; 
throat white ; breast washed with buff ; sides dark, barred with 
white ; belly white. 

Nest, a platform of grass or sedge in a tuft of grass or sedge. 
Eggs, brownish-buff, sparsely spotted with brown and purplish- 
gray. 

The Carolina Rail is a common summer resident of most 
of New York and New England, though rather rare in the 
vicinity of New York city. It arrives in April, and leaves 
in October. Though common in suitable localities, it is 
only found where there are extensive marshes, cat- tail 
swamps, or meadows which retain much water all through 




VIKGINIA KAIL 279 

the summer. Here it may be constantly heard and occa- 
sionally seen, picking its way along the edge of the marsh 
or between the tussocks of sedge, or, when startled, flying a 
short distance with weak flight and dangling legs, and then 
dropping into the grass. It walks with a constant upright 
tilt of its short tail, thus exposing the bufi'y under tail- 
coverts. 

The notes of the Carolina Rail, heard most commonly 
at the approach of dusk and all through the evening, and 
also at intervals through the day, 
are a long frog-like cry, resem- 
bling the syllable kur-iuee^, and 
a whinny. The birds utter also, 
when startled, a cry like the syl- 
lable kuk ; a stone thrown into 
the cat-tails in late summer or 
fall is almost sure to provoke this 

cry. Its short yelloiv bill shows conspicuously against the 
black about its base, and distinguishes it from the Virginia 
Eail, which has a long dark bill. 

Virginia Kail. Rallus virginianus 
9.50. Bill 1.50 

Ad. — Top of head and back rich brown, streaked with black; 
sides of head ash-gray ; line from bill to eye white, above a black- 
ish stripe; part of the loings rich reddish-hroiim ; under parts a 
warm brown ; lower belly black, barred with white ; bill long, 
slightly curved. Im. — Upper parts much as in adult; throat and 
line down the middle of the lower parts whitish; rest of under 
parts blackish. 

Nest, a platform of grass or sedge in a tuft of grass or sedge. 
Eggs, pale buffy-white, spotted and speckled with reddish-brown. 

The Virginia Kail is a summer resident of New York and 
New England, common in the soutliern and central por- 
tions of the region. It arrives in April, and stays till Octo- 




280 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

ber ; it winters sparingly from Cape Cod southward. It 
inhabits fresh water marshes and wet meadows, particu- 
larly where cat-tails 
abound, and is often 
associated with the 
Carolina Kail, many 
of whose habits it 
shares. When seen, 
the long bill and the 
rich, reddish-brown of 
its wings and under 
Fig. 82. Virginia Rail parts distinguish it 

from its relative. Its notes, too, are quite distinct. They 
consist of a low monotonous call, like the syllables cut'-ta, 
cut^-ta, and a series of more startling notes, ivah, wak, wak, 
each note lower than the preceding, like the grunting of lit- 
tle pigs. In summer, when the old bird is followed by the 
young, she utters, when alarmed, a note like the syllable kip. 

HERONS, ETC.: ORDER HERODIONES 

HERONS AND BITTERNS : FAMILY ARDEID-Sl 

Three species of Heron and two of Bittern occur in New 
York and New England. The American Bittern and the 
Green Heron breed everywhere in suitable localities; the 
Least Bittern is not uncommon in parts of southern New 
York and New England ; the Night Heron is common along 
the sea-coast ; the Great Blue Heron breeds in the wilder 
portions of northern New York and New England and oc- 
curs farther south as a migrant. The two species of Bit- 
tern live in extensive swampy meadows or cat-tail swamps, 
and depend on their coloration for protection ; if startled, 
they fly to some other part of the grass or flags. The her- 
ons stand on the margins of shallow coves and pools, flying 



BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON 281 

often to trees when startled. When flying they extend their 
legs behind them, but instead of stretching out their necks 
as ducks do, they shorten them by taking in a ^Huck.'^ 
The Night Heron feeds largely after dusk. 

Black-crowned Night Heron. Nycticorax nycticorax 

ncevius 

24.00 

Ad. — Crown and back black ; wings and tail gray ; forehead 
and under parts white. Im. — Upper parts, wings, and tail brown, 
streaked and dotted with white ; under parts lighter, streaked 
with brown and white. 

Nest, in trees. Eggs, pale bluish-green. 

The Night Heron is a summer resident of New York 
and New England, common along the coast, but rare or 
absent in the interior ; it occasionally winters in southern 
New England. It breeds in communities which occasionally 
number many hundred individuals. In feeds chiefly in 
shallow, tidal creeks ; even if it breeds at some distance 
inland, it often flies at dusk to the salt marshes or to the 
beach. Its hoarse quok, almost like the bark of a dog, is 
therefore a very familiar sound along the coast. In the day- 
time it roosts in trees ; in late summer flocks gather which 
sometimes reach into the hundreds. Though it feeds chiefly 
after dusk, yet it is occasionally seen in the daytime, either 
standing at the edge of small marshy pools or along the 
shore, or flapping heavily over the marshes. 

Adults are easily identified by their ivhite under parts, 
ash-gray wings and tail, and the hJach croum and upper 
back. The immature birds are brown, spotted with white 
or bufl'y. When seen flying at a distance it is difticult to 
identify them with certainty, until one becomes familiar 
with the characteristics of their flight, which is slow and 
heavy; the strokes are alternated with periods of sailing, 
during which the wings are curved slightly downward. 



282 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Gkeen Hekox. Butorides viresceris 
17.00 

Ad. — Top of head glossy greenish-black ; wings, hack, and tail 
greenish; the longer wing-feathers with a bluish tinge; sides of 
throat and neck chestnut ; a narrow strip of black and white 
down the middle of the neck ; under parts brownish-gray. Im. — 
Similar, but under parts white, streaked with brown. 

Nest, of twigs, in trees. Eggs, pale green. 

The Green Heron is a common summer resident of 'New 
York and New England, arriving late in April or early in 
May, and staying till October. It feeds in the marshy coves 
of rivers or ponds, or at the edges of swamps. When 
startled it rises with a harsh quak, and after the legs have 
been picked up, and a tuck taken in the long neck, the 
broad wings take the bird off over the tree-tops or around 
a protecting bend of the shore. When in the air, it looks 
about the size of a crow, but flies with slower, heavier 
strokes and shows a shorter tail. When the bird lights, it 
is very apt to raise its head-feathers somewhat, giving its 
head a peculiar bushy appearance. Inland and south of 
Vermont and New Hampshire it is, in the summer, almost 
the only heron to be seen. As the train runs along a shal- 
low river, like the Connecticut, individuals may be observed 
almost every mile, flying or standing. 

The greenish or Mulsh-green color of the ivings and its 
smaller size should distinguish it from the Night Heron. 
The green shows only as an iridescent color on the wings ; 
the quill-feathers, and in old birds the back also, are bluish, 
so that many an amateur catching this color has jumped 
to the conclusion that he has seen the Little Blue Heron 
of the South. There is no danger of confusing the Green 
Heron with the Great Blue Heron, a bird that seems to the 
excited eye as tall as a man and as broad-winged as an 
eagle. The Bittern, the only other heron-like bird to be 
kept in mind, stiffens, when standing, into a vertical posi- 



GREAT BLUE HERON 283 

tion, the bill pointing almost directly upward, and the black 
and ochre stripes showing clearly on the neck. The Bit- 
tern on the wing looks brown, and is much larger than a 
crow. (See, also, under Least Bittern, p. 285.) 

Great Blue Heron. Ardea herodias 
42.00 - 50.00. Bill 4.30 - 6.25 

Ad. — Crown black, divided hy a hroad white stripe; throat 
white; neck brown; back and tail gray; wings gray, hroadly edged 
with black; breast and belly streaked with black and white. 
Im. — Top of head dusky; back browner. 

Nest, in trees. Eggs, bluish-green. 

The Great Blue Heron used to breed throughout New 
England, but it is now doubtful if there are any of its 
heronries left in southern ISTew England. It is still a sum- 
mer resident of the wilder portions of northern New York 
and New England, and a not uncommon migrant in April 
and May, and from the end of July till November. It is 
found at the edges of lakes and ponds, or on the broader 
reaches of rivers, and still more frequently in the salt 
marshes and on the sandy or rocky ocean beaches. When 
the bird is standing, its long legs and neck are very con- 
spicuous, and its body seems ridiculously thin. It is ordina- 
rily silent on migration, only occasionally uttering a hoarse 
quak ; in summer two birds sometimes quarrel, uttering 
loud, harsh squawks. 

It is always an extremely watchful bird, and long before 
an observer approaches near it rises and flaps slowly ofif. 
After it gets under way, it shortens its long neck so that 
there is a perceptible tuck in it, and stretches out its legs 
behind. It now settles into a flight which, though ap- 
parently heavy, takes the bird along with great ease and 
speed ; the strokes are often alternated with periods of 
sailing. It frequently settles in the top of some tree at a 
safe distance. Its wing-spread is as gi-oat as a Fish Hawk's, 



284 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

but not so great as an eagle's. The under sides of the 
wings have a distinct blue shade, but as a rule the wings 
look gray, with Mack borders and tips. 

Least Bittern. Ardetta exilis 
13.00 

Ad. $. — Top of head, back, and tail glossy black; sides of 
neck yellowish-brown, deepening on back of neck into rich rusty- 
brown; patch on wing buffy, edged with rich rusty-brown; under 
parts white, tinged with huffy, unstreaked, a blackish patch at 
either side of breast. Ad. 9 • — Similar to male, but with the 
black replaced by brown; under parts darker, streaked with 
brownish. Im. $ . — Similar to ad. $ , but mider parts lightly 
streaked with black. 

Nest, a platform of reeds, fastened to upright reeds. Eggs, 
white, or greenish-white. 

The Least Bittern is a rather common summer resident 
of southern New England ; it is rare north of Massachusetts, 




Fig. 83. Least Bittern 

and occurs in northern New England only in the river val- 
leys. It arrives in May and leaves in August. It is an 
inhabitant of cat- tail swamps, either along the sea-shore or 
inland, and of the grassy swamps along sluggish streams. 
It is very secretive, often escaping observation by stiffening 



AMERICAN BITTERN 285 

in an upright position among the reeds, or by slipping off 
quietly as one approaches. Occasionally, when driven to it, 
it flutters off, with a low note, and drops into the flags near 
by. In spring the male utters a low coo coo coo, that sug- 
gests the note of the Mourning Dove. 

If the bird is seen in the reeds, it may be known for 
a bittern by its long, sharp, light-colored bill and its stout 
feet, which grasp the stalks of the cat-tails. Its small size 
and the huff and cliestnut patches on the wings will dis- 
tinguish it from any other heron or bittern. Even the 
Green Heron will look large in comparison with this dimin- 
utive representative of the family ; the whole wing of the 
Green Heron, moreover, looks dark, almost black. 

American Bittern. Botaurus lentiginosus 
28.00 

Ad. — Top of head rich chestnut-brown; back dark brown, 
streaked with buff; wings yellowish-brown, deeply tipped with 
black; sides of neck glossy black; under parts buffy, streaked 
with brown; bill yellow. 

Nest, flat, of reed-stalks, on the ground, in marshes. Eggs, drab. 

The Bittern is a summer resident throughout New York 
and New England, arriving in April, and leaving in Sep- 
tember or October. It is rare in summer in the lower 
Hudson Valley and along Long Island Sound, but is not 
uncommon as a migrant. It breeds in extensive marshes, 
both fresh and salt, and on wet meadows along sluggish 
streams, but as a migrant it may occur in almost any small 
swamp or along the banks of small streams. It is a slug- 
gish bird, and when any one approaches, stands erect witli 
head pointing upward ; in this position it harmonizes so 
well with the l)rown grass or cat-tails around it that it is 
very difficult to discover. When one is almost upon it, it 
springs up awkwardly, often with a hoarse cry, and tluMi 
flaps off with slow strokes of its broad wings. 



286 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

In April and May, in the early morningj late afternoon, 
and evening, the Bittern " pumps." Standing in the grass, 
it utters at intervals a series of two or three notes, of a 
curious guttural character, resembling the syllables plum- 
puddn' or unk' -a-chunk' , either wooden or liquid, accord- 
ing to the nature of the country between the listener and 
the bird. The notes sound either like the blows of a 
mallet on a stake, or like the gurgling of a pump. The 
Bittern may be cautiously approached when making these 
sounds ; one can then see the curious movements Avith 
which he evidently gulps in air, and hear the click of his 
bill, which he opens and shuts rapidly before he begins the 
final delivery of the notes. (See Torrey, " Auk," vol. vi. 

p. 1.) 

If seen in its erect position, the streaks of huff and 
black on the 7ieck, and the long yellow bill distinguish it. 
If not startled, it hunches its back, and with bill point- 
ing downward steals off with slow, cautious steps. When 
flying, the expanse of hrown wings ^ tipjped with black, 
identifies it. Immature Night Herons in the brown plumage 
have been mistaken for Bitterns ; but the Bittern, so far as 
I know, never lights in trees, whereas the Night Heron 
regularly does so. 



DUCKS, GEESE, SWANS: ORDER ANSERBS 

DUCKS, GEESE, SWANS : FAMILY ANATIDiB 
Geese: Subfamily Anserince 

Two species of Goose occur in New York and New Eng- 
land : one is the well-known Canada or Wild Groose, often 
heard honking overhead, occasionally seen in inland ponds 
or along the sea-coast ; the other, the Brant, occurs as a 
migrant along the coast. 



BEANT 287 

Bkant. Branta bernicla 

26.00 

Ad. — Head, neck, and upper breast black ; streaks of wliite on 
the sides of the neck; back and wings brown; belly whitish; tail 
black, base white. 

The Brant is a migrant along the coast in March and 
April, and in October and , November. It keeps well out 
along the shore, and is found in numbers only at certain 
points, such as Monomoy on Cape Cod, and on Nantucket 
and Martha's Vineyard. Here the Brant sometimes occur 
in great flocks, which rest in long lines on the sand-bars, 
or feed at the edge of the fiats, tearing up eel-grass by the 
roots. They may be known from the Canada Goose by the 
smaller size, by the absence of white on the throat, and by 
the black breast. 

Canada Goose. Branta canadensis 
35.00-43.00 

Ad. — Head and neck black ; broad bib of white from sides of 
head across throat ; back and wings brown ; under parts whitish ; 
tail black, base white. 

The Wild Goose is more often heard than seen, except- 
ing perhaps on the sea-shore. The honking of migrant 
flocks was once a common sound in March and April, and 
again from the first of October to the end of Decejuber. At 
favorable points along the coast, and in certain inland ponds, 
flocks often alight to rest. They then ride on the "water, 
or stand on exposed bars, or feed by pulling up vegetation 
in the shallow water. When seen at close range, they are 
easily identified by the bl((ck head and neck, and the bib of 
white across the throat ; when flying, they usually form a 
wedge-shaped flock, two lines converging at a leader. The 
wing-strokes are then rather slow, compared with those 
of a duck. 



288 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Bay and Sea Ducks : Sub-family Fuligulinae 

Ducks are divided into three subfamilies : Bay and Sea 
Ducks, E/iver and Pond Ducks, and Mergansers. In all, 
twelve or thirteen species belonging to the first division 
may be found along the coast of New England and New 
York, but only six or seven are common. Two species, the 
Ruddy Duck and the Lesser Scaup Duck, are as a rule 
only migrants, and occur nearly as often on inland waters 
as at sea ; the other species are all winter visitants, either 
along the whole coast or on certain portions of it. 

The American Eider, common off the Maine and Mas- 
sachusetts coasts, is rare off Long Island. The Harlequin 
is found regularly only on the eastern half of the Maine 
coast ; the King Eider and Barrow's Golden-eye are rare 
even on the Maine coast and only stragglers farther south. 
The Buffle-head is by no means abundant, but the Old- 
squaw, the Whistler, and the three Scoters are common all 
along the coast and in places abundant. The Greater Scaup 
is locally common in winter. The American Eider also 
breeds sparingly along the eastern half of the Maine coast, 
and the Whistler breeds on some of the large lakes of 
Maine. 

All the species named above dive for their food, and may 
by this habit be distinguished from the River and Pond 
Ducks, p.. 300, but not from the Mergansers, p. 306, nor 
from the Grebes or the other Diving Birds, p. 329 et seq. 

It is at first difficult for an observer on shore to distin- 
guish the different species feeding some distance off in the 
water, or flying back and forth to their feeding ground. The 
E.ed-breasted Merganser and Black Duck of the following 
sections must also be taken into consideration in a winter visit 
to the sea-shore, and the presence of the Loons and Grebes 
adds to the complication. Much may, however, be learned 
by careful study with a powerful field-glass, or a small tele- 



RUDDY DUCK 289 

scope, especially if the observer conceal himself or approach 
the lookout post unobserved. One gradually becomes fa- 
miliar with certain marks about the head and on the wings, 
the size and actions of certain species, and after long prac- 
tice can distinguish them at long range and with consider- 
able ease. The beginner, however, should be very careful, and 
identify with great hesitation. A morning in a ^' blind," 
or a cruise in a sailboat with a ^'gunner'' or a more ad- 
vanced student, will clear up many difficulties. Ducks, like 
other sea-birds, have a habit of standing up now and then 
in the water and flapping their wings ; at such times they 
show any white patches there may be in the wings. When 
about to alight they generally scale for some distance with 
wings set and body almost perpendicular, and just before 
they drop into the water a foot dangles down on each side. 
At this time one can note the color of the feet and legs, 
which differs with the different species. " Scoters, Old 
Squaws, and Eiders ordinarily fly low over the water, . . . 
while the Mergansers, Scaups, Whistlers, and most of the 
others, are apt to fly high " (Job, " Among the Water-Fowl," 
p. 221.) 

Note. — The term speculum, which occurs frequently in the descrip- 
tions of the plumages of ducks, is applied to a small patch of feathers 
in the wing, which in many species difPers in color from the rest of the 
wing, and often has a beautiful metallic lustre. Many ducks have also 
larger or smaller areas of white in the wing which serve as better 
field-marks than the speculum, which is only useful in case the duck 
is seen at close range. 

Ruddy Duck. Erismatura jamalcensis 
15.00 

Ad. $ in breeding plumage. — Crown and nape black ; aides 
of head and chin white ; upper parts, throat, and fore neck brig;lit 
reddish brown ; upper part of breast tinged with reddish-brown ; 
rest of under parts silvery white ; tail brownish-black, the sepa- 
rate feathers stiff and pointed ^ no white on wing. Ad. 9 'i>'d 



290 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Im. $ . — Top of head dark brown, white stripe from below 
the eye to back of neck ; back grayish-brown ; under parts dull 
whitish. 

Nest, of reeds, built up out of the water. Eggs, dull white. 

The E/uddy Duck occurs as a migrant both on the 
coast and on inland waters in March and April, and in 
October and November. It breeds rarely in northeastern 
Maine, and has also been found breeding in Rhode Island 
and on Cape Cod. It was formerly a common migrant, but 
is now rapidly decreasing in numbers. It is as quick at 
diving as a grebe, and has the latter's power of sinking till 
only the bill is exposed. It may be recognized by its 
small size, squat appearance, and by the white or whitish 
sides of the head. The tail is often conspicuously cocked 
up, the short stiff feathers showing separately. " When 
rising from the water, it runs on the surface for some dis- 
tance and generally against the wind . . . when on the 
wing, it flies low along the surface of the water, with a rapid 
beat of its broad wings, making a short plump figure, quite 
uncommon for a duck" (Langille). 

Surf Scoter. Oidemia perspicillata 

20.00 

Ad. . — Patch on forehead and one on hind neck white; rest 
of plumage black; bill showing much red, orange, and yellow; 
feet red or reddish-orange. Ad. 9- — Top of head black; spot 
behind eye and one in front of eye whitish; rest of plumage sooty- 
brown, paler below. Im. — Similar to $ . 

The three Scoters, or Coot, as the gunners call them 
(see, however, p. 276), are migrants and winter visitants 
along the coast of New York and New England. In winter 
the greatest numbers are found south of Cape Cod, where 
the birds gather in enormous beds in the shoal waters about 
Nantucket and south of Long Island. The first migrants 
appear in September, and the last go north in May, but 



SUEF SCOTEE 291 

the birds are most abundant during October and April. All 
three species occur as more or less regular migrants on large 
inland ponds, — as at Dublin, N. H., — and in the valleys 




Fig. 84. Surf Scoter 

of the Connecticut and the Hudson, especially in the au- 
tumn. In summer a few barren birds linger along the coast, 
particularly in Maine. 

Scoters feed over the shallows, even when the surf is 
breaking, diving till they reach the beds of shellfish, on 
which they feed. Early in the morning, or when changes 
in the wind or tide make them restless, they fly low over 
the water in large or small flocks ; at other times they 
gather over the feeding-grounds, and dive and reappear 
steadily. 

When on the wing, the following species, the White- 
winged Scoter, is readily distinguished from the other two, 
which show no white in the wing. Even when a flock is 
feeding, individuals frequently stand for a moment and 
shake themselves, their outspread wings at such a time often 
settling their identity. To distinguish the Surf Scoter from 
the American Scoter, it is necessary to make out the patch 



292 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

of ivhite on the hind neck. With a good glass this can be 
seen, both when the ducks are flying and when they are 
feeding. The female and young Surf Scoters are brown, 
and have only indistinct white patches on the neck, and 
are difficult to tell at a distance from the female or young 
American Scoters, which are also brown. The latter, how- 
ever, are rarer than the former. The White-winged Scoter 
shows the white wing-patch in all plumages. 

White-winged Scoter. Oidemia deglandi 

22.00 

Ad. Z • — Spot below eye, and short, hroad patch on wing white ; 
rest of plumage black ; bill with much red and orange ; legs and 
feet scarlet. Ad. 9 • — Spot behind the eye and patch on wing 
white ; rest of upper parts sooty-brown ; under parts grayish- 
brown; bill orange-black; legs and feet brownish-red. 

The White-winged Scoter is, perhaps, the most abundant 
sea duck off the coast of southern New England and Long 
Island. Its habits and field-marks have been described 
under the preceding species. Many of our sea ducks show 
a white wing-patch (see Whistler, p. 297, and Red-breasted 
Merganser, p. 308), but no others have black breasts as 
well. 

American Scoter. Oidemia americana 

19.00 

Ad. $ . — Entire plumage Mack ; bill black, bright orange at 
the base, which is much swollen; legs and feet brownish-black. 
Ad. 9- — Top of head dark brown; throat and fore neck grayish; 
rest of plumage sooty-brown, lighter below; bill black; legs and 
feet brown. 

The American Scoter is the least common of the three 
Scoters ; it is also the smallest. In its habits it resembles 
its relatives ; all three are often associated on the same 
feeding-grounds, but generally keep in distinct flocks. The 



AMERICAN EIDER 293 

adult male American Scoter may be distinguished from any 
other duck by its uniform black plumage, and its habit of 
diving. The Black Duck, which in winter may be found 
with the Scoters, does not dive ; moreover, the Black Duck 
may generally be distinguished by the whitish under sur- 
face of its wings. An adult male American Scoter has an 
orange spot at the base of its black bill. (See under Surf 
Scoter, p. 291.) 

Note. — The King Eider (Somateria spectahilis) is a rare winter 
visitant to the coast of New England, occasionally eonamon off the 
coast of Maine. The adult male may be distinguished from the fol- 
lowing species by the top of the head, which is a delicate lavender 
instead of black, and by the cheeks, which are sea-green instead of 
white. 

American Eider. Somateria dresseri 
23.00 

Ad.$ . — Top of head black, divided by a white stripe ; rest of 
head white, tinged on the sides and back with green ; neck, upper 
breast, and most of back white ; middle of lower back, wings, tail, 
and belly black; bill, legs, and feet olive-green. Ad. 9 and 
Im. — Top of head blackish; rest of plumage dark buffy-brown, 
lightest on throat and neck, barred everywhere with black. 

Nest, on the ground, often under a bush. Eggs, olive-green. 

The American Eider is a common winter visitant off the 
coast of New England, arriving in October, and returning in 
April. It is rare south of Massachusetts. It is a rare sum- 
mer resident on some of the rocky islands of the Maine 
coast, from Isle au Haut eastward. Great flocks of eiders 
collect in the shoal water off Cape Cod, Nantucket, and 
Martha's Vineyard, spending the night at sea, and flying in 
each morning to some ledge of rocks, where they find the 
mussels on which they feed. These they obtain by diving 
through the breakers. The Eider is rarely seen in the inner 
bays and harbors ; in fact it is known among the fishermen 
as the '' Sea Duck." 



294 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

The adult male is a very striking bird, the black crown 
and belly contrasting with the white breast and back. The 
female may be distinguished from other brown ducks by her 
size and the presence in the flock of black and white males. 
In April as the flocks fly north, the males and females 
alternate irregularly and fly in long lines low over the 
water. (See Mackay, " Auk/' vol. vii. pp. 315-319.) 

Harlequin Duck. Histrionicus histrionicus 
17.00 

Ad. $. — General color leaden blue, changing into blue-black 
on lower back, and bluish - gray on belly ; triangular crescent- 
sJiaped spot in front of the eye, a round spot near the ears, a nar- 
row collar around lower part of neck, a broad bar across breast, 
and other markings on wing and breast white ; under side of neck 
and bar on side of breast, centre of forehead, crown, and hind neck 
black ; sides bright reddish-brown ; bill and feet slate. Ad. J. — 
Head and neck grayish-brown ; a white spot back of the ear ; 
sides of head tinged with white ; sides grayish-brown ; bill and 
feet slate. 

The Harlequin Duck is a rare but regular winter visitant 
on the eastern half of the coast of Maine, frequenting 
rocky ledges and islets well ont at sea. It may be dis- 
tinguished from other ducks by 'Hhe combination of small 
size, dark color, and buoyancy,, in air and water " (Norton, 
'' Auk," vol. xiii. pp. 229-234). The female may be dis- 
tinguished from the female Old-squaw by the color of the 
belly, which is grayish dusky instead of pure white. 

Old-squaw. Harelda hy emails 
^ 21.00. 9 16.00 

Ad. $ in winter. — Patch on side of neck blackish-brown 
(occasionally nearly absent) ; region in front of eye light gray ; 
rest of head, neck, upper breast, and hack white ; back, wings, and 
tail brown, two white patches extending down the back; breast 
and upper belly brown ; lower belly white ; two middle tail- 
feathers black, very long and narrow ; outer tail-feathers white ; 



OLD-SQUAW 295 

base of bill black, tip yellow, band of pink between; legs and 
feet pale slate. Ad. $ in late spring. — Patch in front of eye 
gray ; small patch back of eye white ; rest of head, neck, back, 
breast, and upper belly sooty black, feathers of the back margined 
with reddish-brown; lower belly white; tail-feathers and feet as in 
winter. Ad. ^ in winter. — Head, neck, and lower parts mostly 
white; top of head and sides of neck dusky; upper parts dusky- 
brown. Ad. ^ in spring. — Similar to 9 ^^ winter, but sides 
of head and neck blackish ; feathers of the back margined with 
brown. Im. in winter. — Either similar to ad. 9 ^^ winter, or 
with head and neck chiefly grayish ; sides of head whitish ; breast 
streaked with dusky. 

The Old-squaw is a very common winter visitant on the 
coast of New York and New England from October to May. 
It does not come into the inner harbors as freely as the 
Whistler and Buffle-head, but feeds in small or large 
flocks in the surf close to the outer beaches, or in vast 
" rafts '' over shoals at sea. It rides easily over the great 
rollers, or dives into and through them. Little companies 
are constantly moving here and there, flying, after they get 
under way, with ease and great rapidity. The Old-squaw 
is noted for its garrulousness, particularly in spring ; the 
chattering of a flock is musical, resembling the syllables 
honk, honk-a-link, honk-a-link (Sanford). In mild days 
in spring and fall Old-squaws ^' tower," — that is, fly to 
a great height, and then descend with rushing wings. 

The long tail-feathers of the male are very conspicuous, 
drooping below him as he lights in the water, or cocked up 
at an angle as he swims. His 'white head with the black 
spot behind the eye sufficiently characterizes the male, even 
when the long tail-feathers do not show. The females and 
young have much darker heads, and lack the long tail- 
feathers of the adult male, but are readily identified by the 
large amount of whitish about the sides of the head, and 
generally by the presence in the flock of long-tailed males. 
(See Mackay, "Auk," vol. ix. pp. 330-337.) 



296 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 



BuFFLE-HEAD. Chcivitonetta albeola 
14.75 

Ad. $. — A snow-white patch from back of eye over top of 
head ; rest of head and ueck apparently black, crested and puffed 
out at the side (at close range showing purple, violet, and green 
reflections) ; broad ring around neck and under parts pure 
white ; back black ; wings black, with large white patches ; bill 
dark gray ; legs and feet flesh-color. Ad. 9 • — Head, neck, and 
upper parts sooty-brown ; large spot back of eye whitish; wings 
brown, showing white when spread ; under parts (except throat 
and neck) white ; bill, legs, and feet dusky. 

Nest, generally in a hole in a tree, usually near the water. 
Eggs, grayish-white, tinged with green. 

The Buffle-head is a rather common migrant in October, 
March, and April along the coast of Xew York and jSTew 

England, occurring also 
on large inland streams 
and ponds. It is a rather 
uncommon winter visit- 
ant from southern 
Maine southward, and is 
reported as breeding 
sparingly in northeast- 
ern Maine (Knight). It 
is the smallest of the 
sea ducks, and among the 
river ducks only the 
Green-winged Teal is 
smaller. It dives with the quickness of a grebe. Its 
habits along the sea-coast are similar to those of the 
Whistler, and it is often associated with that species, pre- 
ferring the mouths of rivers, and the harbors and coves 
along the shore to the shoals well out at sea. 

A male may be known by the large patch of white in 
the head, extending fro?)i behind the eye to the toj) of the 
head. The head-feathers are long, and give the head a 




Fig. 85. Buffle-head 



AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE 297 

''bushy'' look. The female and young males have a white 
patch extending from the eye to the back of the head. (See 
the following species, and the Hooded Merganser, p. 307.) 

Note. — Barrow's Golden-eye, Clangula islandica, a species which 
resembles the following- closely in appearance and habit, is a rare 
winter visitant on the Maine coast. The chief differences are in the 
purplish-blue of the head, and the shape of the white spot before the 
eye, which in this species is twice as large and somewhat crescent- 
shaped. It would not ordinarily be safe to attempt to distinguish the 
two species, unless the birds were in the hand. 

American Golden-eye ; Whistler. Clangula clangula 

americana 

20.00 

Ad. $. — Head black (greenish in good light), slightly crested ; 
spot below and in front of eye white ; middle of back and tail 
black; entire under parts (except throat), broad ring around 
neck, and sides of upper back white ; wing black, much of it 
covered with long white feathers when closed, and showing a 
broad patch of white when spread ; bill black ; feet orange. 
Ad. 9 • — Head dull reddish-broivn, no white spot ; back and band 
across breast dark grayish-brown ; ring around neck and rest of 
under parts white ; wing showing considerable white both when 
closed and when open ; bill yellowish-brown ; feet and legs yel- 
lowish. 

Nest, in a hole in a tree, near the water. Eggs, bright pea- 
green, or olivaceous green. 

The Whistler is a common winter visitant to the coast 
of New York and New England, arriving in October, and 
leaving in April. It breeds in northern Maine, notably at 
Lake Umbagog (see Brewster, '^ Auk," vol. xvii. pp. 207- 
216). The Whistler in winter is an inshore duck, coming 
into the small bays and harbors, and up the mouths of 
rivers, where it dives for shellfish and water plants. 
Sometimes when the shoals are frozen over, any small 
inland pond-hole will afford it food. Though generally 
wary, it has quickly taken advantage of the immunity 



298 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

offered it on the Boston Back Bay, and may be seen any 
day in winter on each side of the Harvard Bridge. 

The Whistler's flight is rapid and characteristic, and is 
accompanied by a sharp, whistling sound. When in the air, 




American Golden-eye 

the white under parts and the white patches in the wing are 
conspicuous. From the Bed-breasted Mergansers, which also 
show white below and on the wing, the short thick head and 
short neck distinguish it. The black head and the small 
white sijot before the eye distinguish the male. The female 
has a dull reddish-hroivn head and is often mistaken by 
beginners for the very rare Bed-head, or confused with 
the female Scaup Ducks. She may be separated from the 
latter by the lack of any white about the base of the bill. 

Lessee Scaup Duck; Little Blue-bill. Aythya 
ajfinis 
16.50 

Ad. — Similar to the following species but smaller, and head 
and neck of male showing at close range purplish instead of 
greenish reflections. 



SCAUP DUCK 299 

The Lesser Scaup Duck is a common migrant off Long 
Island and in the lower Hudson Valley, occurring in Sep- 
tember and October, and in February and March ; in New 
England it is less common, and appears generally in the au- 
tumn, often in company with the following species. It oc- 
curs both on the coast and in inland ponds. It is doubtful 
whether it occurs in winter, though the Greater Scaup is 
common at that season. The two species resemble each 
other very closely, but may be distinguished in good light 
and at close range by the color of the head, which is pur- 
plish in the Lesser, greenish in the Greater. (See following 
species.) 

Scaup Duck ; Blue-bill. Aythya marila 

$ 18.50. 9 17.50 

Ad. $ . — Heady neck, upper hack, and breast black, the head 
and neck showing greenish reflections in strong light ; middle of 
back white, marked with narrow wavy black lines; speculum 
white ; a white stripe along wing when spread, lower belly and 
sides pure white ; under tail-coverts black ; bill blue-gray ; legs 
and feet lead-color. Ad. 9 • — Black of $ replaced by brown ; 
region around base of hill white ; wings brown ; speculum and 
stripe in extended wing white ; under parts not so pure white ; 
bill and feet as in ^ . 

The Scaup or Blue-bill is a common migrant along the 
coast of New York and New England in March and April, 
and in October and November ; it is usually an abundant 
winter visitant in Long Island Sound, and occurs in winter 
at least as far north as Massachusetts Bay. Like the other 
sea ducks it occurs on large inland rivers and on fresh- 
water ponds near the sea. Blue-bills often occur in very 
large flocks, and when alarmed they swim toward a common 
centre, forming a compact bunch, which then swims away 
from the disturbing factor. They fly in a characteristic wav- 
ing line, showing a stripe of white along the outstretched 
wing. The male may be known by his black head, neck. 



300 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

and breast, and by the white back, crossed by wavy black 
lines. The white face of the female is very conspicuous, 
and afifords an excellent field-mark. 

E/EDHEAD. Aytliya americana 

19.00 

Ad. $ . — Head and neck rich reddish-brown ; breast and upper 
back black ; back gray, with very narrow wavy black Unes ; 
speculum gray ; belly white ; feathers under tail black ; bill, 
broad and flat, rising at base abruptly toward forehead, slate, 
crossed by a black bar at tip ; legs and feet gray. Ad. 9 • — Top 
of head and neck pale brown ; back brownish-gray ; chin white ; 
throat, neck, breast, and sides brown, middle of belly white ; 
lower belly brown ; bill and feet slate. 

The E-edhead is a regular, though rare, migrant in New 
England ; on the Long Island coast it is regular, though it 
varies in numbers ; in the lower Hudson Valley it is a 
common migrant. It occurs in April and October, and oc- 
casionally winters off Long Island. It visits both the inland 
ponds and the coast. An adult male can be confused only 
with the much rarer Canyas-back, from which the broad flat 
bill should distinguish it. Care must be taken not to take 
the female Whistler for the Red-head ; the former has a 
dull reddish-brown head, and shows a considerable patch of 
white on the wing. (See p. 297.) 

River and Pond Ducks : Subfamily Anatinae 

Many of the diving ducks described in the preceding 
pages occur as migrants on nearly every large lake or river 
in the interior of New England and in eastern New York. 
Two of the Mergansers described in the following section also 
occur as migrants on inland ponds and streams. All these 
species, however, dive for their food, and may be thus dis- 
tinguished from the true river or pond ducks, which obtain 
their food by tipping in shallow water, after the manner of 



WOOD DUCK 301 

the common domestic duck. Seven species belonging to 
this division occur regularly in eastern New York and New 
England ; all but one, however, are now so rare that the or- 
dinary observer will hardly come across them. They must 
be sought for in the ponds of Maine or southeastern Mas- 
sachusetts, where, however, numerous gunners are generally 
lying in wait for them in their favorite haunts. The Black 
Duck or Dusky Duck is still common, and may be met 
with as a migrant in any pond or stream ; it breeds in many 
places, and winters in large numbers off the sea-shore. The 
Wood Duck, once found in summer near quiet forest pools 
and deserted mill ponds, is now very rare. The Mallard, 
the Widgeon, and the Pintail are migrants, occurring in vary- 
ing numbers, but nowhere commonly ; the Mallard occa- 
sionally winters off the coast. The two species of Teal, 
though becoming rare elsewhere, are still rather common 
fall migrants in Maine, and the Blue-winged Teal nests in 
the extreme northern and eastern counties of that state. 
(See Job, '' Auk," vol. xiii. pp. 197-204.) 

Wood Duck. Aix sponsa 
18.50 

Ad. $ . — Top of head metallic green, ending in a long crest of 
purple, interspersed with narrow white feathers ; sides of head black ; 
throat pure white, the white running up into side of the head and hind 
neck, almost separating the black side of the head into two areas; 
upper parts brown; when seen in good light the wings show vel- 
vety black, purple, and white; tail dark, long and fan-shaped; 
upper breast rich reddish - chestnut, with small white arrowy 
markings, white mark edged with black before the bend of the 
wing; flanks buffy-brown; rest of under parts ichite ; imder tail-cov- 
erts dusky; bill dark; legs and feet brownish-yellow. Ad. 9- — 
Top of head blackish; sides of head grayish-brown; ring round 
eye and patch behind it white; rest of upper parts brown, the 
wings at close range as in $ ; throat pure white ; breast brown, 
mottled witii buff; helly white, with here and there a dusky spot; 
bill dark; legs and feet yellowish-brown, 

Nestyin holes in trees, near water. Eggs, ivory-white. 



302 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

The Wood Duck was formerly a common summer resi- 
dent throughout New York and New England, breeding 
about quiet ponds and slow streams ; but it has diminished 
rapidly of late, and can hardly be considered common any- 
where, unless in the wilder portions of northern New Eng- 
land. It is an uncommon winter visitant on Long Island, 
but elsewhere in New England occurs chiefly as a migrant 
in March and April, and from August to November, or as 
a rare summer resident. It may be found on small inland 
ponds or wooded streams. The male is unmistakable ; the 
long crest-feathers and the black and white sides of the 
head give him a characteristic look. The female has a slight 
crest, but may be best distinguished by the white eye-ring 
and stripe of white behind the eye. 

Pintail. Dafiia acuta 

$ 28.00. 9 22.00 

Ad. $ . — Head, throat, and part of fore neck brown; hind neck 
black, separated from fore neck by a white stripe; back gray, 
with narrow wavy black lines; speculum bronze, with greenish re- 
flections, bordered in front with cinnamon; long black feathers, 
edged with white, extend down the wing; middle tail-feathers long 
and black ; lower fore neck, breast, and belly white ; feathers under 
tail black; bill and feet slate. Ad. 9- — Top of head and hind 
neck brown; back brown, the feathers edged with whitish; under 
parts whitish, spotted with dusky, darkest on neck; bill and feet 
slate. Ivi. $ . — Similar to 9, but with speculum as in ad. $. 

The Pintail is a migrant through New York and New 
England, common off Long Island and in the Hudson Val- 
ley, but rare in most of New England. It occurs in Ply- 
mouth County, Mass., from the end of September through 
October, and again in April ; in the Hudson Valley it is 
found till December, and ofi" Long Island it occasionally 
winters. The adult male may be easily recognized by his 
long black tail-feathers, which are cocked up as he swims, 
but these are often not yet grown in the autumn. The male 



BLUE-WINGED TEAL 303 

may, however, be identified by the long slender neck and 
by the pure white under parts. 

Blue-winged Teal. Querquedula discors 
16.00 

Ad. $ . — Head apparently dusky, a hroad white crescent in 
front of the eye; back brown, upper back mottled with buff; 
upper parts buffy or reddish-bufp, everywhere spotted with black; 
wing when closed has a light blue patch, edged with white, and a 
concealed greenish patch ; bill black ; legs and feet yellow. 
Ad. 9- — Top of head blackish; throat whitish, no white crescent ; 
back and wings dusky; under parts gray, streaked on the breast 
with black ; wing as in $ , but with less blue ; bill greenish-black ; 
legs and feet greenish-yellow. 

Nest, on the ground, in weeds and rushes. Eggs, pale buff. 

The Blue-winged Teal is a migrant through New York 
and New England, breeding rarely in northern and eastern 
Maine. It has become 
scarcer of late years, and 
though still commoner than 
the following species, it 
can hardly be called com- 
mon except in the wilder 
portions of Maine. It is 
everywhere rarer in spring 
than in autumn, occurring 
generally from the end of 

August to. October. Teal, 

,., ,, ,, . , ' Fig. 87. Bhie-winged Teal 

like the other river ducks, 

feed at night, and lie concealed by day. Toward dusk they 

approach the pond or marsh where they hope to feed, and 

may be known on the wing by their small size and great 

speed. When seen by day the male is easily recognized by 

the white erescetit before the eye and by the blue in the 

wing ; the latter mark also distinguishes the female. (See 

the following species.) 




304 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Green- WINGED Teal. Nettion carolinensis 
14.50 

Ad. $ . — Head chiefly chestnut ; chin black, a broad stripe 
from eye metallic-green, ending in a black tuft on hind neck; 
upper back and flanks gray, finely barred with black, like a 
guinea hen; a white band in front of bend of wing; lower back 
brown ; speculum metallic-green, edged with black, and, forward, 
with a bit of light chestnut; upper breast reddish-buff, with round 
black spots, rest of lower parts whitish; under tail-coverts black; 
bill black ; legs and feet dark brown. Ad. 9- — Top of head and 
back dusky-brownish, the feathers of the back edged with buff; 
throat butt'y; speculum metallic-green, a stripe of white tinged 
with chestnut forward; breast buff, spotted with blackish; rest of 
under parts whitish; bill brown ; legs and feet brown. Im. $ . — 
Similar to 9 > but under parts chiefly white. 

The Green-winged Teal is a migrant through New York 
and New England, and a winter visitant in the ^vicinity of 
New York city. It occurs as a migrant in April, and in 
September and October, alighting in inland ponds and 
marshes, often associating with the preceding species and with 
Black Duck. It has become rare of late years, and, except 
in the wilder portions of Maine, would hardly be observed, 
except by constant visits to gunners' stands. An adult male 
is readily distinguished by the chestnut head with the green 
and black stripe behind the eye. A female or immature 
bird would be recognized as a teal by its small size, and as 
belonging to this species if the green on the wing can be 
made out. The adult Blue-winged Teal also has some green 
on the wing, but a larger amount of blue. 

Baldpate ; American Widgeon. Mareca americana 

19.00 

Ad. $ . — Forehead and top of head white ; sides of head blackish; 
rest of head and neck buff, speckled with black; back brown; 
wing with a broad white patch ; speculum metallic-green, bordered 
with velvety black; upper breast and sides chestnut; rest of under 
parts white ; bill and feet slate. 9 and Im. $ . — Top of head 



BLACK DUCK 305 

blackish; back dusky, barred with buff; speculum black; throat 
and neck buff, streaked with dusky, breast and sides reddish- 
brown, with dusky spots on the breast; rest of under parts white; 
bill and feet brown. 

The Widgeon is a migrant through New York and New 
England, common in the lower Hudson A^alley, uncom- 
mon off Long Island, and in New England, It occurs in 
September and October, and in April. The male may be 
known by the white forehead; care must, however, be taken 
not to confuse the female Scaup, a diving duck, with the 
Widgeon. (See p. 299.) 

Black Duck. Anas ohscura 

Red-legged Black Duck. Anas ohscura ruhripes 

22.00-25.00 

Ad. $ . — Top of head blackish; sides of head, neck, and throat 
light buffy-brown; rest of plumage dark brown (apparently black, 
except in strong light) ; speculum iridescent purple or greenish, 
edged with velvety black ; under sides of wings silvery ; bill broad 
and fairly long, yellowish-green or olive in the Black Duck (see 
note below) ; feet of Black Duck brown. 

Nest, on the ground, generally near the water. Eggs, varying 
from pale buff to pale greenish-buff. 

The Black Duck breeds throughout New England and on 
Long Island, commonly in the northern portions of New 
Hampshire and Maine, rarely in southern New England and 
on Long Island. It is a very common migrant in March 
and April, and from August to November. Along the sea- 
coast it is a winter visitant, abundant in southern New 
England and on Long Island, not so common along the 
Maine coast. It feeds at night in ponds and marshes, or up 
the tidal creeks and estuaries, retiring by day either to the 
shelter of reeds or to the sea, well off shore. 

It may be known when it flies by its dusky or blackish 
under parts, and by the sUverij lining under its wings. 
The American Scoter is also entirely black, and the two 



306 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

may be confused along the sea-shore, where the Scoter is 
found from September to May. The latter, however, dives 
for its food, while the Black Duck, when at sea, simply 
rides the water, till the approach of dusk sends it back to its 
feeding-ground ; it never dives. It often comes out on the 
sand-bars and stands or squats there in company with gulls. 

Note. — The Red-leg-g-ed Black Duck is a larger race, with red legs 
and a yellow hill ; it breeds north of New England, and is found here 
as a migrant or winter visitant. The Black Ducks seen in New York 
or New England in summer belong to the smaller race. 

Mallard. Anas hoschas 

23.00 

Ad. $. — Head and neck iridescent green, a white ring almost 
entirely around neck, broken only on the nape; upper back brown; 
lower back black; wings ash-gray; speculum violet, bordered in 
front and behind with black and white; breast chestnut; feathers 
under tail black ; rest of under parts silver-gray, narrowly barred 
with black on the flanks; bill and legs yellow; feet reddish- 
orange. Ad. 9- — Upper parts brownish; feathers edged with 
buff; throat buff; speculum like that of $ ; breast brownish-buff, 
spotted with black; lower parts white, spotted with dusky; bill 
greenish-yellow; feet yellowish. 

The Mallard is a rare or uncommon migrant through 
eastern New York and JSTew England, occurring in Septem- 
ber and October, and in March and April. It occasionally 
winters off the coast. Its habits are very similar to those 
of the Black Duck, and it often associates with a flock of 
the latter. The male is readily recognized by his resem- 
blance to the domestic drake ; the female resembles the 
female Black Duck, but may in good light be recognized 
by her lighter, more yellowish under parts. 

Mergansers : Subfamily Merginae 

Three species of Merganser occur in Xew Y^ork and New 
England. One, the American Merganser, is a bird of fresh- 



HOODED MEKCtANSER 307 

water streams and lakes, breeding in northern New England 
and occurring as a migrant or winter visitant on streams 
and lakes. The Eed-breasted Merganser is a common win- 
ter visitant off the sea-coast. Both of these species get their 
food by diving and pursuing fish under water 5 both when 
flying show large areas of white in the wings. A third spe- 
cies, the Hooded Merganser, is a rare summer resident in 
northern New England and a rather uncommon migrant 
in the rest of New England and in New York. 

Hooded Merganser. Lophodytes cucullatus 
17.50 

Ad. $. — Head, neck, and upper back black, a broad white 
patch extending from back of the eye backward, with a narrow 
black border, forming a crest which is either erected or extended 
backward ; two black bands before the bend of the wing ; flanks 
reddish-brown ; rest of under parts white ; wing-patch and long 
feathers on the back white. Ad. 9- — Throat light; rest of head, 
with bushy crest, dull reddish-brown ; rest of upper parts sooty- 
brown ; wing with a white bar ; flanks dark ; rest of under parts 
white. Im. $ . — Head and neck light brown ; crest brownish- 
white, with brown edge ; otherwise like 9 • 

Nest, in holes in trees. Eggs, white. 

The Hooded Merganser breeds in some of the lakes in 
northern and eastern Maine, and in northeastern New 
Hampshire ; elsewhere in New England and New York it 
is a rather uncommon migrant in October, March, and 
April, and a rare winter visitant. It occurs on inland 
streams and ponds, and is noted for the speed of its flight. 
The male can be confused only with the Buffle-head, but 
should be distinguished by the long slender bill, and by 
the fact that the white patch in the crown does not reach 
the top of the head, particularly wdien the crest is not 
erected. The Merganser's flanks, moreover, are brown ; the 
Bufiie-head's snowy wdiite. The female has the character- 
istic merganser head, with a long bill and loose crest 



308 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

behind, but is much smaller than either of her relatives, 
the two following species. 

E/ED-BREASTED jVIerganser ; Sheldrake. Mevgansev 

serratoT 

22.00 

Ad. $. — Head dark green (at a distance apparently black) ; 
long crest on hind head ; a broad white ring around neck ; upper 
back black, lower back gray; wing mostly white, crossed by two 
black bars; upper breast buff, streaked with black; rest of imder 
parts white; bill, legs, and feet red. Ad. 9 and /m. — Throat 
white; rest of head and upper neck, with a crest on hind head, 
reddish-brown ; back and tail slate-gray ; wings darker, when 
spread showing a white patch ; under parts white ; bill, legs, and 
feet reddish-brown. 

Nest, on the ground, either in rushes or under thick spruces. 
Eggs, creamy buff. 

The Eed-breasted Merganser is an abundant migrant 
along the sea-coast in March and April, and in October 
and IsTovember ; it is occasionally found as a migrant on 
inland waters, especially near the sea, but the common 
inland merganser is the following species. The Red- 
breasted Merganser is also a common winter visitant on the 
New England coast, and on the lower Hudson E-iver, but 
is not common in winter off Long Island. According to 
Knight (''Birds of Maine "), it is quite a common summer 
resident along the eastern half of the Maine coast and also 
breeds on some of the interior lakes. 

' When feeding it keeps in shallow water, either close to 
the shore or over shoals, and dives in pursuit of its food. 
The male is unmistakable : the long bill, the black head 
set off by the white collar below, identify him as a mer- 
ganser. The loose feathers of the crest, and the reddish- 
brown breast distinguish him from his relative, the Ameri- 
can Merganser. The females and young when seen in good 
light show a reddish-brown neck and head. When flying, 



EED-BREASTED MEEGANSER 309 

the long outstretched neck and head and the gray tone of 
the back distinguish them from the other sea ducks with 
white wing-patches. In the female American Merganser the 




Fig. 88. Red-breasted Merganser 

upper throat only is white, and the top of the head and lower 
throat are darker brown than in the Eed-breasted Mer- 
ganser ; moreover, the former is almost never seen in the 
sea itself, though it occurs occasionally in estuaries and at 
the mouths of rivers. 



American Merganser ; Goosander ; Sheldrake. 
Merganser americanus 

25.00 

Ad. $. — Head and neck apparently black (glossy green in 
strong light); no creftt on hind head ; middle of back black; tail 
gray; broad collar about neck, sides of upper back, and entire imder 
parts (except neck) pxire white (tinged below in strong Hglit with 
sahnon) ; wings white, showing black quill-feathors and a bhick 
bar when spread; bill and feet red. Ad. 9- — Throat white; rest 
of head and neck, with a crest on hind head, reddish-brown; 
rest of upper parts and tail gray; wings black, with a white 



310 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

patch; under parts white; bill reddish-brown; feet reddish- 
orange. 

Nest^ in a hollow tree. Eggs, white, tinged with bufiP. 

The American Merganser is a summer resident of the 
streams and lakes in northern New Hampshire, and in 
northern and eastern Maine. In the rest of New England 
it occurs as a rather common migrant along the larger 
streams, and as a winter visitant wherever falls and rapids 
keep the streams open during the winter, as on the 
Merrimac below Manchester, N. H., and along the Con- 
necticut below Enfield ; it is " tolerably common " along 
the Hudson from January to March. Like the preceding 
species, it is an expert diver, and pursues small fish in 
the shallow water. When it rises from the water, it gen- 
erally pats the surface for some distance with its feet, show- 
ing the broad white patches on the wing. (See preceding 
species.) 

CORMORANTS, GANNETS, ETC.: ORDER 
STEGANOPODES 

CORMORANTS: FAMILY PHALACROCORACIDiE 

Double-crested Cokmorant. Phalacrocorax dilophus 

30.00 

Ad. — Apparently entirely black; in breeding plumage a tuft 
of feathers rises from each side of the head, but these are want- 
ing after mid-summer. Im. — Head and neck and under parts 
grayish-brown. 

The Double-crested Cormorant is a summer resident from 
the Bay of Fundy northward, and occurs as a not uncom- 
mon migrant along the coast of New York and New Eng- 
land, passing north in April and May, and returning from 
August to November. It winters sparingly in southern New 
England. 



GANNET 311 

When seen off our coast, Cormorants are generally flying 
at some distance above the water, with necks outstretched, 
and look like dark-colored geese or very large ducks. Their 
wings look large in proportion to the bird, and their wing- 
strokes are much slower than a loon's. Occasionally they 
light on a point of rock or a spar-buoy, when they bend 
the neck in a characteristic curve. When they perch, they 
squat on their tails and feet, and stand nearly upright. 
When thus sitting they often spread their wings and hold 
them for some time in what Dr. Townsend has called a 
^' spread-eagle " posture, resembling that bird as pictured 
on our coins and coat of arms. 

Note. — The Cormorant {Phalacrocorax carho) is ordinarily a very 
rare visitant in late fall and winter off the New Eng-land coast; a 
small colony of this species winter each year on Cormorant Rocks 
in Narragansett Bay. (See Howe and Sturtevant, Birds of Rhode 
Island, p. 33.) 



GANNETS: FAMILY SULID-E 

Gannet. Sula bassana 

35.00. Tail 9.50. Bill 4.00 

Ad. — Entire bird white, except the ends of the quill-feathers 
which are black; the head and neck are yellowish when seen at 
close range. Im. — Upper parts brownish; under parts lighter; 
a white band across the tail. 

The Gannet breeds on a few rocky cliffs in the Gulf of 
St. Lawrence, and occurs as a rather uncommon migrant in 
May, and again in October and November, olF the coast of 
New York and New England. A few Gannets winter olF 
Long Island Sound. Monomoy Point, eight miles from 
Chatham, Mass., is an excellent place to observe them, as 
they fish over the shoals known as the Shovels. Tlie adult 
birds are as large as a goose, pure white, except the tips of 



312 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

the wings, which are black for some distance. Immature 
birds look almost black j only the under parts and a band 
across the tail are light-colored. In a large flock there are 
birds in intermediate stages of plumage. The old birds are 
unmistakable ; in the sunlight their pure white looks al- 
most luminous. In any plumage the habit of diving head- 
long into the water from a height of from seventy-five 
to a hundred feet will distinguish them from any other 
large bird that goes in flocks. When flying, the long head 
and neck extend in front and the long tail out behind, 
giving them a very diff'erent appearance from that of a 
gull. 



PETRELS, SHEARWATERS, ETC.: ORDER 
TUBINARES 

PETRELS AND SHEARWATERS: FAMILY PRO- 
CELLARIIDiE 

Two species of Shearwater and two species of Petrel 
occur regularly at some distance ofi" the shores of New York 
and New England. Leach's Petrel breeds on islands off the 
coast of Maine ; Wilson's Petrel and the two Shearwaters 
occur as summer visitants. They may often be observed in 
numbers from the decks of vessels crossing to the Maritime 
Provinces, but still more abundantly and at close range 
about the fishing schooners, where they collect to feed on 
the refuse thrown overboard. 

Wilson's Petrel. Oceanites oceanicus 
7.00 
Ad. — Sooty-blackish; base of the tail white; tail square. 

Wilson's Petrel is a common summer visitant off the 
coast of New York and New England from June to Sep- 
tember. As soon as a vessel gets a few miles from shore, 



leach's petkel 313 

petrels appear flying close over the water, in this direction 
and that, turning quickly, or stopping to hover a moment 
with outstretched feet to pick up some morsel. They often 
collect in the wake of a vessel, and follow it for hours ; 
but though the white rump and their habit of walking 
on the water proclaim them petrels, they rarely come near 
enough to show the sq^uare tail which separates them from 
the following species. Wilson's Petrel is also darker and 
smaller than Leach's Petrel, but both look almost black 
against the water. If one accompanies some fishing vessel 
to the fishing-grounds, petrels and shearwaters may be at- 
tracted close to the boat by throwing over cod liver, and then 
the two petrels may be distinguished. The common spe- 
cies in summer anywhere off the coast is Wilson's Petrel ; 
Leach's Petrel, though breeding at that season on the coast 
of Maine, is not commonly met with except as a migrant 
in spring and in autumn. Occasionally petrels come close 
in shore, particularly, according to Dr. Townsend, in foggy 
weather. 

Leach's Petrel. Oceanodroma leucorhoa 
8.00 
Ad. — Entire bird sooty-brown (often apparently black) ; base 
of tail white; tail forked. 

Nest, in burrows, on rocky islands. Egg, white. 

Leach's Petrel is a summer resident of the North At- 
lantic coast, breeding on the extreme outer islands along 
the coast of Maine, and from there northward. It arrives 
in May, and leaves in September, On Seal, Little Duck, 
and Green Islands there are interesting colonies of these 
birdfe. Eev. Mr. Job ('^ Among the AVater-Fowl," p. 125) 
describes a visit to one of these colonies. Tlie burrows 
that he opened ran under the turf just below the roots 
of the grass, and ended in a sort of pocket in which a sin- 
gle bird was incubating the single egg, Soniotinies both 



314 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

parents were found in the burrow if the egg was not yet 
laid. The presence of the birds on the island would not 
be suspected during the daytime, for one bird keeps close 
within the burrow and the other is presumably feeding far 
out at sea. At night, however, the air is filled with the 
twittering of birds, coming and going to and from the 
burrows. 

Petrels are attracted to vessels that pass across the Bay 
of Maine, and also follow trans- Atlantic liners far out over 
the ocean ; they may be observed from the stern of the 
boat, but it is very difficult to see the tail clearly enough 




Fig. 89. Leach's Petrel 



to distinguish between the forked tail of this species and 
the square tail of Wilson's Petrel. Wilson's Petrel is 
darker, almost black, but it is also difficult to see this dif- 
ference in color on the water. Both species have the bright 
white rump, contrasting with the dark back, wings, and 
tail, and both hover over the water, often with legs down, 
as if walking upon it. Leach's PetreJ is occasionally found 
on inland waters, apparently blown in by a storm. (See 
preceding species.) 



GREATER SHEARWATER 315 

Sooty Shearwater. Piiffinus ftdiginosus 

17.00 

Ad. — Upper parts sooty; under parts lighter; bill blackish. 

The Sooty Shearwater is a regular summer visitant to 
the North Atlantic, though much less common than the 
following species, which it resembles closely in flight and 
habits. It is readily distinguished by its uniformly dark 
appearance. '' At a distance it looks as black as a crow " 
(Brewster). 

Greater Shearwater ; Hagdon ; H aglet. Puffinus 

gravis 

20.00 

Ad. — Upper parts dark brown; under parts white; band 
across middle of tail white ; bill blackish. 

The Greater Shearwater is a summer visitor to the North 
Atlantic from May to September. Shearwaters may be 
regularly observed by any one crossing from New York or 
New England to the Maritime Provinces, or from trans- 
Atlantic liners. In fact, in mid- Atlantic, shearwaters and 
petrels are sometimes the only birds in sight for days. The 
former do not seem to be attracted to the ship as the latter 
are. They do not congregate about the stern or follow in 
the wake, but are seen to the right and left, ahead or 
behind. With set wings they glide just above the waves, 
over the crest and down into the troughs, occasionally 
settling upon the water, then rising and continuing their 
flight. They also gather in great numbers about the oft- 
shore fishing-boats, waiting for the ^^ gurry " that is thrown 
over after the fish are cleaned. 

Note. — Cory's Shearwater {Puffinus horealis) occurs in sunuuer 
with the preceding', which it resembles in size and habits and rather 
closely in coloration. It may be distinguished at close range by its 
yellow bill. 



316 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEAV YORK 

TERNS, GULLS, AND JAEGERS : ORDER 
LONGIPBNNES 

GULLS AND TERNS : FAMILY LARIDiE 

Terns : Subfamily Sterninae 

Six species of Tern occur on the sea-coast of New York 
and New England ; two, the Common Tern and the Black 
Tern, occasionally appear as casual visitants on large in- 
land waters. The Common Tern breeds locally off the coast 
of New York and southern New England, and commonly 
along the coast of Maine. It occurs as a migrant along the 
whole coast ; nearly every tern seen by the casual observer 
belongs to this species, just as nearly every gull which the 
ordinary observer sees is a Herring Gull. The Koseate 
Tern breeds locally from Massachusetts southAvard ; the 
Arctic Tern from Massachusetts northward. The Least 
Tern, a very small species, breeds sparingly from Cape Cod 
southward. The Caspian Tern, a very large species, is a 
rare migrant in August and September ; the Black Tern is 
an irregular migrant in late summer. (See p. 319, Common 
Tern.) 

Black Tern. HydrocJielldon nigra svrinamensis 
10.00 
Ad. in early summer. — Head, neck, and under parts sooty- 
black ; feathers under the tail white ; back, wings, and tail dark 
gray; bill black. Ad. in late summer and autwnn. — Head, neck, 
and under parts white ; top of head and stripe hack of eye dusky ; 
back, wings, and tail deep pearl-gray ; bill black. Im. — Similar 
to fall adult, but upper parts browner ; sides washed with dusky. 

The Black Tern is a rather irregular migrant along the 
coast of New York and New England in summer and early 
autumn. It is rarely seen in its adult black plumage, 
though it is occasionally seen with under parts spotted 



LEAST TEEN 317 

with black and white. Even in the autumn plumage it 
may be readily distinguished from any other tern, except 
the Least, by its small size. Its tail, too, is less deeply 
forked than in other adult terns. From the adult Least 
Tern it may be distinguished by the dark gray of its upper 
parts and by its black bill. An immature Least Tern has 
a blackish bill, but is considerably smaller than a Black 
Tern, and has a brownish tinge on its upper parts. 

Least Tern. Sterna antillarum 

9.00 

Ad. in summer. — Forehead white, inclosed by black lines from 
the eye to the bill ; rest of top of head black ; back, wings, and 
tail light pearl-gray ; under parts white ; hill bright yellow, tip 
blackish. Ad. in autumn. — Similar, but head grayish-white; 
bill dull yellowish. Im. — Like fall adult, but back spotted with 
brownish ; bill blackish. 

The Least Tern is a summer resident of southern New 
England and Long Island from May to September ; it is 
local, and nowhere common. It breeds sparingly on the 
south shore of Martha's Vineyard, and perhaps at Chatham 
on Cape Cod. Its cry has been described as a ''shrill 
staccato yij), yip, yip " (Job). Its size distinguishes it 
from the Common Tern. The light pearl-gray of its back 
and wings distinguishes it from the occasional Sooty Tern 
that might occur on the same coast in August or September. 
The ivliite border that separates the black cap from the 
bill is an excellent field-mark, but this must not be con- 
fused with the whitish forehead of the immature Common 
and Roseate Terns. 

Roseate Tern. Sterna don gall i 

15.50 

Ad. in summer. — Top of head black; wings and back pale 
pearl-gray ; tail white, the outer feathers much longer than the 



318 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

wings ; under parts apparently white (really tinged with rose- 
pink); hill black, tinged at base with reddish. Ad. in autumn. — 
Similar, but forehead and forward portion of crown white, 
streaked with blackish. Im. — Similar to fall adult. 

The Eoseate Tern is a rare summer resident of the coast 
of southern New England and New York. On the island 
of Muskeget, between Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, 
there is a large colony of E-oseate Terns ; a smaller colony 
is "established on Penikese, and a few other colonies are 
found along Long Island Sound. 

Its times of arrival and departure and its habits are simi- 
lar to those of the Common Tern, but an adult may easily 
be distinguished, when seen at close range, by the bill, 
which is chiefly black, in strong contrast to the pure white 
under parts, and by the very long and pure white outer 
tail-feathers. Its cry, too, differs from that of the com- 
moner tern, resembling the syllable cack ; this it utters 
on the breeding-ground as it flies at an intruder, its bill 
pointing straight at his face, threatening till the last 
moment to strike him. The young bird cannot be distin- 
guished in life from the young Common Tern ; care must 
be taken, too, not to take a young Common Tern, which 
has a dark bill, for a Eoseate Tern. A combination of a 
black bill with an entirely black crown and long white 
tail-feathers makes identification certain. 

Arctic Tekn. Sterna paradisoea 

15.50 

Ad. in summer. — Top of head black ; back and wings pearl- 
gray ; tail white; under parts grayish- white ; hill rich red. Ad. 
in autumn. — Similar, but lower parts white ; forehead white ; 
crown white, streaked with black ; bill as in summer. Im. — 
Similar to fall adult, but terminal half of bill blackish. 

The Arctic Tern is a common summer resident on the coast 
of Maine. On Matinicus Eock, Machias Seal Island, and 



COMMON TERN 319 

Metinic Green Island, there are large colonies. Its most 
southern colony is on Muskeget Island, Mass. It migrates 
southward with the Common Tern, and returns at the same 
time. At close range it may be distinguished from the 
Common Tern by its bill, which is uniform deep red. Its 
tail, too, is a trifle longer. Its notes, according to Mr. Brew- 
ster, may be distinguished : " The usual cry corresponds to 
the tearr of S. hirundo [the Common Tern], but is shriller, 
ending in a rising inflection, and sounding very like the 
squeal of a pig." 

Common Tern. Sterna hirundo 

15.00 

Ad. in summer. — Top of head black; back and wings pearl- 
gray; tail white; under parts grayish-white; hill red, blackish at 
tip. Ad. in autumn. — Similar, but forehead and forward part of 
crown white, mixed with black on the crown; under parts pure 
white ; bill less red. Im. — Similar to fall adult, but bill brownish. 

The Common Tern is a summer resident on the coast of 
New York and New England, but south of the Maine coast 




Fig. 90. Common Tern 

it breeds in only a few colonies ; Gull Island, off Long 
Island, Muskeget Island, and Penikese, near jNFartha's Vine- 
yard, are the largest of these. On tlie IMaine coast there 
are many colonies. The Tern arrives in INlay, and leaves in 



320 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YOEK 

September. Along those parts of the coast where it does 
not breed, it is seen as a migrant in May, and more com- 
monly in August and September. Many young birds may 
be found in late summer congregating on beaches at some 
distance from the nearest breeding-ground. 

The ordinary cries of the Common Tern are a harsh, 
short kip, and a continual tee, tee, tee, which breaks, when 
the bird is excited, into a harsh tee'-arr ; no one who has 
ever set foot on an island colonized by terns will ever for- 
get the ear-splitting din made by thousands of angry birds 
uttering this cry. Terns may easily be distinguished from 
gulls by the long forked tail ; in adults, moreover, the 
whole top of the head is black. When feeding, terns hover 
at some distance above the water, with bill pointing down- 
ward, and seize their prey by a quick downward plunge, 
which carries them often well under water. Their flight is 
more buoyant than a gull's ; each stroke of the long, narrow 
wings lifts them easily upward. When not feeding, they 
gather in large flocks on some exposed sand-spit, but are 
restless, and often rise, wheel about, and settle again, for no 
apparent reason. They also light on spindle, spars, and any 
available perch, and often on the water. When seen near 
at hand, the red bill with its black tip is conspicuous, and 
distinguishes the Common Tern from the Arctic and Roseate 
terns. Young birds and old birds in the fall have whitish 
foreheads. (See the two preceding species.) 

Caspian Tern. Sterna caspia 

21.00 

Ad. — Top of head black; back and wings pearl-gray; tail and 
under parts white ; hill bright red. 

When a student has learned readily to distinguish a tern 
from a gull he may hope to identify the Caspian Tern, 
which is a rare migrant off the coast in August and Sep- 



CASPIAN TERN 321 

tember. The black cap, the forked tail, and the red hill 
mark it as a tern ; its size separates it from the other species 
found on our coast. 



Gulls : Subfamily Larinae 

Six species of Gull occur commonly in New York and 
New England. Most of them are found only at the sea- 
coast, though the Herring Gull often occurs on large inland 
waters, and the smaller Bonaparte's Gull is a rare migrant 
inland. One species, the Laughing Gull, breeds from the 
southern coast of Maine southward ; the Herring Gull 
breeds all along the coast of Maine ; the other four spe- 
cies are only migrants or winter visitants. The Kittiwake is 
a common winter visitant, generally at some distance off 
shore ; the Black-backed Gull is a not uncommon winter 
visitant on the outer beaches ; the Bonaparte's Gull is 
a common migrant, and the Bing-billed Gull is rare off 
the New England coast, but a common winter visitant off 
Long Island. All the Gulls are equally at home in the 
air or on the water ; they also spend much of their time 
standing on the exposed flats and sand-bars, generally in 
flocks, sometimes of great size. They are great scaven- 
gers, circling continually over the water, and when they 
spy some bit of floating refuse, stooping to pick it up in 
the bill ; they also subsist on dead fish cast up on the 
beach. 

A Gull may be distinguished from a Tern, which it resem- 
bles in general appearance and in its powers of flight, by its 
rounded tail ; Terns, moreover, constantly plunge from a 
height into the water, striking it with a splash ; of the Gulls 
only the Kittiwake does this regularly. The brown Gulls 
seen commonly in winter are immature PTerring Gulls, of the 
same species as the gray and white Gulls with which tlioy 
associate. 



322 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Bonaparte's Gull. Larus Philadelphia 

14.00 

Ad. in spring and summer. — Head black; tail and under parts 
white; back and wings pearl-gray; outer wing-feathers white nearly 
to the tip, which is black; bill black; feet rich orange-red. Ad. in 
autumn. — Head whitish, a dusky spot back of the eye; otherwise 
like the adult in summer; bill black; feet pale flesh-color. Im. — 
Similar to fall adult, but tail crossed at the tip by a black band. 

Bonaparte's Gull is a common migrant along the coast 
of New York and New England, a rare migrant on the 
Hudson, and a rather rare straggler to other inland waters, 
occurring in April and from August to October ; it winters 
sparingly along Long Island Sound. It is an unsuspicious 
species, allowing a near approach. In grace it almost equals 
the terns, sinking gently on the water or feeding daintily 
just over the surf. In spring it is easily distinguished from 
all other gulls, except the Laughing Gull, by the black 
head and throat. In fall, when it has lost this plumage, it 
may be distinguished from the Herring Gull by its size, 
from the Kittiwake by its black bill and by its preference 
for the inshore waters, and from the Laughing Gull at this 
season by the wings, which have the general effect of white, 
tipped with black. The young birds have the tip of the 
tail crossed by a broad black band. Along the coast of 
Maine and north of Cape Cod the Laughing Gull is very 
rare ; south of Cape Cod in the summer the Bonaparte's 
Gull does not occur. 

Laughing Gull. Larus atricilla 

16.50 

Ad. — Head hlacJc ; back and wings bluish-gray; hind neck, 
taU, and under parts white ; outer quill-feathers entirely Hack ; 
bill and feet dark brownish-red. Ad. in autumn. — Similar, but 
head white, streaked on the sides and hind neck with dusky. 
Im. — Similar to winter adult, but upper parts brown, tail broadly 
tipped with black. 



EING-BILLED GULL 323 

Nest, on the ground, of grass and seaweed. Eggs, grayish or 
greenish, thickly spotted and scrawled with brown and purplish. 

The Laughing Gull is a summer resident of New Eng- 
land and New York, breeding in a few stations from Meti- 
nic Green Island on the coast of Maine southward. The 
largest colony is on Muskeget Island, near Nantucket. In 
1900 over a hundred pair were nesting here, and when the 
terns rose in a vast cloud and filled the air with their harsh 
din, the Gulls floating above them uttered a cry like the 
laughter of a lunatic. During the summer months the black 
hood easily distinguishes the Laughing Gull from any other 
gull or tern that breeds on our coast. Bonaparte's Gull, 
which is a spring and fall migrant along the coast, has in 
spring the same black hood, but in the fall both species 
lose it; they may always be distinguished by the outer 
wing-feathers which are black in the Laughing Gull, white 
with black tips in the Bonaparte's Gull. (See preceding 
species.) 

Ring-billed Gull. Larus delaivay^eyisis 

18.50 

Ad. in summer. — Head, neck, tail, and under parts white; back 
and wings pearl-gray ; ends of quill-feathers black, the first two, 
for over six inches, spotted with white near the tip, or tipped with 
white; bill yellow, crossed near tip by a black band which does 
not show except at very close range; feet pale yellow. Ad. in 
winter. — Similar, but top of head and hind neck streaked with 
brownish, Im. — Brownish-dusky above; tail blackish toward the 
tip; bill blackish. 

The Bing-billed Gull is a common winter visitant oil" the 
coast of Long Island, and a rare migrant along the coast of 
New England, It is very difficult to distinguish this species 
from tlie Herring Gull. If it is seen with Herring Gulls, 
its smaller size and greater tameness should distinguish it. 
(See under Kittiwake, p. 327.) 



324 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

Herring Gull. Larus argentatus 
24.00 

Ad. in summer. — Head, neck, tail, and under parts pure white; 
back and wings pearl-gray; ends of quill-feathers black, the two 
outer, for over seven inches, spotted near the extremity with white 
and tipped with white; bill yellow; feet pale flesh-color. Ad. in 
winter. — Similar, but head and hind neck streaked with grayish. 
Im. in the first winter. — Upper and under parts brownish; tips of 
wings and tail blackish. Later in various stages with whitish 
head, and brown upper parts; tail white with a broad black tip; 
bill crossed by a dark band at the tip. 

Nest, of grass, moss, etc., either on the ground or in trees. 
Eggs, grayish-brown, blotched with chocolate. 

The Herring Gull breeds commonly along the coast of 
Maine and less commonly on some of the inland lakes of 




Fig. 91. Herring Gull 

that State. On Great Duck Island off Mt. Desert, on Little 
Spoon Island, and on No Man's Land very large colonies 
now breed. In winter it is very common along the coast of 
New York and New England and is the common gull in all 



HERRING GULL 325 

the harbors. Though none are now known to breed regu- 
larly west of No Man's Land off Penobscot Bay, flocks of 
greater or less size spend the whole summer off the north 
shore of Massachusetts, and a few are found at the same 
season off Nantucket and the Vineyard. Early in August 
these flocks receive accessions from the north, and by the 
end of September large flocks have returned to their winter 
feeding-grounds in the harbors of cities and settlements, 
large or small. At this season, too, and in spring, gulls visit 
inland waters, settling on ponds near the sea-coast as long 
as there is open water ; along the Hudson and the Con- 
necticut they are common migrants, but they are very rare 
migrants in Berkshire County, Mass. By the end of April, 
migration is practically over. On the breeding-ground they 
regularly light on trees, but during the rest of the year, they 
spend their time either floating on the water, or circling over 
it, in search of refuse, or gather in large companies on the 
exposed sand-bars and mud-flats. If disturbed on the breed- 
ing-ground the gulls circle about overhead, repeating cease- 
lessly a dry kak, kak-kak, or a loud cry like the scream of 
a E,ed-shouldered Hawk. In winter, when flocks are settling 
down on a sand-bar, they are often very noisy, whining and 
squealing in a high-pitched voice. 

The old birds have the head, tail, and under parts white, 
and wings and back gray ; the wings are tipped with black. 
The immature Inrds are at first uniformly brown, but as 
they begin to change to the adult plumage, many inter- 
mediate stages are to be seen. The Herring Gull is by far 
the commonest species in winter ; in summer the much 
smaller Tern, or Mackerel Gull, is commoner in certain 
waters, as about the islands south of Cape Cod, and along 
parts of Long Island Sound. It will be well, before at- 
tempting to identify the other, less common species of gull 
or tern, to study carefully the appearance of the gulls 
which are to be seen in every harbor along our coast, till 



326 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

one is thoroughly familiar Avith their size and their different 
plumages. 

Great Black-backed Gull. Larus maidnus 

29.00 

Ad. in summer. — Tail and under parts pure white; back and 
wings apparently black (really dark brown); wings edged pos- 
teriorly with white; bill yellow; feet pale flesh-color. Ad. in 
winter. — Similar, but top of head and hind neck streaked with 
dusky. Im. — Upper parts dusky, tail dusky, crossed near the tip 
by a narrow band of brownish-white ; head, neck, and under parts 
white, streaked and washed with brown. 

The Black-backed Gull is a winter resident along the sea- 
coast of iSlew York and Xew England. A few individuals 
arrive in August, and a few linger till May, but the species 
is commonest in the winter months. It is much less com- 
mon, however, than the Herring Gull, and as a rule keeps 
to the outer shores and beaches. Occasionally, however, one 
or two may be observed in a harbor or even in a fresh- water 
pond near the sea ; there are generally one or two among 
the Herring Gulls that gather off T wharf in Boston. A 
common cry of the Black-backed Gull is a harsh kyow, 
suggesting the note of the Green Heron. 

When a large flock of gulls are standing on a flat or sand- 
bar, the mature Black-backed Gulls will be easily distin- 
guished from the Herring Gulls, if they stand with their 
backs and sides toward the observer ; the black wings and 
back will then present a striking contrast to the pure white 
head and neck. To identify a bird when flying, one must be 
sure to get a view of the upper part of the wings ; even a 
Herring Gull will often appear to have dark wings, when 
the under surface is seen in shadow. The immature Black- 
backed Gulls can often be told from the immature Herring 
Gulls only if the two stand side by side, when the difference 
in size becomes apparent. 



KITTIWAKE 327 

KiTTiWAKE. Rissa tridactyla 

16.00 

Ad. in winter, — Head, tail, and under parts white; a dusky 
spot back of the eye, which however may disappear as early as 
February; wings and back pearl-gray ; wings tipped for less than 
three inches with unspotted black; bill yellow; feet black. Im. — 
Similar, but all except the outer pair of tail-feathers tipped with 
a broad black band; first three quill-feathers black; a blackish 
patch on the hind neck and another near the bend of the wing; bill 
black; feet yellowish. 

The Kittiwake is a common winter visitor to the sea- 
coast of New England, and a common transient visitor off 
the coast of Long Island, where a few birds winter. It is 
the most pelagic of our gulls (rarely approaching the beaches 
or harbors), seeking its food well out at sea. Flocks of 
these gulls circle about the fishermen, expecting the refuse 
thrown overboard after the fish are cleaned, and during 
the winter and early spring many follow the trans-Atlantic 
liners for days, playing with exquisite grace about the stern 
of the ship, and often plunging into the water from a consid- 
erable height. Their cry resembles the syllables keet, keety 
ivdckj wdck. 

They may be known from Herring Gulls, which they re- 
semble closely in coloration, by their much smaller size, and 
their more graceful flight. If the adult birds are seen at 
close range, the color of the feet and the ditferent pattern of 
the tips of the quill-feathers will distinguish the Kittiwake 
from either the much larger Herring Gull or the somewhat 
larger Eing-billed Gull. The adult Kittiwake has black 
feet ; the other two species have feet of pale fiesh-color. 
In the Kittiwake, only a couple of inches at the tips of the 
wings are black, uns^iotted with white ; this black tip offers 
a marked contrast to the gray wing. In the other two 
species the dark tip is over six inches long, is spotted with 
white near the tip, and inasmuch as it runs back some dis- 



328 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

tance along the outer wing-feather, it does not give the im- 
pression of a well-defined tip, as in the Kittiwake. The 
immature Kittiwake is readily told by the black-tipped tail, 
and by the broad black edging along the forward portion of 
the wing. 

JAEGERS : FAMILY STERCORARIID-SI 

Slongicaudus. 21.00 
parasiticus. 17.00 



yi^omarinus. 22.00 



Upper parts varying from blackish to brown; lower parts vary- 
ing from dark brown to whitish ; central pair of tail-feathers 
often longer than the others (over six inches longer than the 
others in the adult Long-tailed Jaeger) ; a conspicuous whitish 
hand across the under sides of the wings near the tip. 

The Jaeger, or Jiddy Hawk, as the fishermen call it, is a 
spring and autumn migrant ofi" the coast of Xew York and 
New England, occurring most commonly in August, Sep- 
tember, and October. It is noted for its habit of pursuing 
terns and the smaller gulls till they drop the food which 
they have obtained ; the Jaeger then seizes and devours it. 
Mr. Job (''Among the Water-Fowl," p. 117) says that the 
victim often disgorges half-digested food ; I have seen only 
the freshly-caught fish dropped from the bill. To see Jae- 
gers, one should watch the terns as they migrate along the 
coast in late summer ; or, better still, sail with some fish- 
erman to the fishing-ground off" Chatham or Cape Sable. 
The chase is an interesting spectacle ; the dark, hawk-like 
form of the Jaeger appears suddenly, and in an instant the 
two are off, twisting and turning, always close together ; 
one can often see the Jaeger's claws struck forward. 

Jaegers appear in almost every possible plumage, but 
will be at once recognized by their dark upper parts and 
hawk-like flight ; they are always darker above than the 
bird that they pursue. The commonest species off our coast. 



DOVEKIE 329 

the Pomarine, is also the largest ; it is not very much 
smaller than a Herring Gull ; the next commonest is the 
Parasitic Jaeger. The two species resemble each other so 
closely in their various plumages that it is almost impos- 
sible to distinguish them except by their size when they 
appear together. The Long-tailed Jaeger is rare ; in adult 
plumage its long tail-feathers will distinguish it. The other 
species often have the central pair of tail-feathers. consider- 
ably longer than the rest. 

DIVING BIRDS: ORDER PYGOPODES 
AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS: FAMILY ALCID-5I 

Four or five members of the family which includes the 
Auks, Murres, and PujSins, may be seen chiefly in winter 
off the coast of New England, and rarely off Long Island. 
Most of the Auks, Murres, and Puffins breed to the north- 
ward even of the Maine coast. A few Black Guillemots or 
Sea Pigeons breed along the northern coast of Maine, and 
are, therefore, regularly met with even in summer along 
that shore. A considerable colony of Puffins breed at the 
Machias Seal Island and a few pair on Matinicus Pock, 
but Brtinnich's Murre and the Pazor-billed Auk are found 
off the New England coast only in winter ; and though a 
number of them migrate southward at that season to INIas- 
sachusetts or Long Island, they frequent even then the 
rocky outer shores and are not often seen from the land. 
They all spend their time in the water, obtaining their food 
by diving. The Dovekie is an irregular winter visitant as 
far south as the New Jersey coast. 

Dovekie. Alle alle 

8.00 

Ad. in jointer and /m. — Upper parts black; under parts white; 
back here and there marked with white ; bill short, black. 



330 BIEDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YOEK 

The Dovekie, or Ice-bird of the fisherman, is a rather ir- 
regular winter visitant off the coast, generally keeping well 
out at sea, but at rare intervals blown inland by severe storms. 
It should be recognized at once by its small size. Small 
flocks may be seen flying with rapid wing-strokes, close over 
the water, or floating on the waves. The birds seem tame, and 
at the approach of a boat they often dive instead of flying. 

E.AZOR-BILLED AuK. Alca tovda 

16.50 

Ad. in summer. — Head, throat, and upper parts sooty-black; 
line from bill to eye, narrow line across wing, and under parts 
white; bill short and deep. Ad. in lointer. — Similar, but throat, 
fore neck, and cheeks white; no white line from bill to eye. Im. — 
Similar to winter adult, but bill smaller. 

The E-azor-bill is an irregular winter visitant to the 
coast of Kew England and Long Island, occurring off rocky 




Fig. 92. Razor-billed Auk, in Winter 

shores. It gets its food by diving, and uses its wings under 
water to propel itself. Its pattern of black and white re- 
sembles very closely that of the Murre, but it may be distin- 
guished by its deeper bill, and, when sitting on the water, 
by its upturned tail. 



brunnich's murke 331 

Brunnich's Murre. Uria lomvia 

16.50 

Ad, in summer. — Head, throat, and upper parts black ; under 
parts and narrow line across wing white ; bill long and stout, but 
not deep, as in the preceding species. Ad. in winter. — Similar, 
but fore neck, sides of head, and neck white. Im. — Similar to 
winter adult, but no white on sides of head, and fore neck tinged 
with dusky. 

Briinnich's Murre is an irregular winter visitant to the 
coast of New England and Long Island Sound, generally 




Fig. 93. Brunnich's Murre 

rare, but at times occurring in considerable numbers. It 
occasionally appears on inland waters, apparently blown in 
by storms. It is then very tame, and permits a close ap- 
proach. It dives for its food, and uses its wings to propel 
itself. Its coloration, black above and white below, will 
distinguish it from the other birds of its kind, except the 
Kazor-bill. (See preceding species.) 

Black Guillemot; Sea Pigeon. Cepphus gryllc 

13.00 

Ad. in summer. — Entire plumage black, except a broad ichifr 
patch on the wing; bill black; legs bright red. Ad. in witittr.^ 



332 BIKDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTEKN NEW YOKK 

General effect when in the water white ; upper parts varied with 
black; wing black, with white patch. Im. — Similar to winter ad., 
but wing-patch barred with black ; lower parts washed with dusky. 
Nest, in crevices in rocks. Eggs, green, greenish-white, or 
white. 



The Sea Pigeon breeds on rocky islands along the coast 
of Maine, from Knox County eastward ; there is a consid- 
erable colony on Little 
Duck Island, off Mt. De- 
sert. In fall and winter it 
is met with along the 
whole of the Maine coast, 
and less commonly as far 
south as Wood's Hole, 
Mass. It feeds in the 
broad sheltered bays 
formed by the numerous 
islands along the Maine 
coast, riding easily on the 
water, and either diving 
when alarmed, or rising 
and flapping off with a 
peculiar paddling effect of 
the wings. 

It may be recognized in 
summer by its general black color, and by the broad patch 
of white in the black wing. In winter the general effect 
of the bird is white, the black bill showing clearly against 
the white head. Its M'ing, however, is still black with a 
patch of white. The Horned Grebe also has a white 
patch in the wing, but it does not show till the bird flies, 
whereas in the Sea Pigeon it is conspicuous as the bird sits 
in the water. The White-winged Coot and the Merganser, 
which also show white in the wing, are both much larger 
birds. 




Fig. 94. Black Guillemot 



PUFFIN 333 

Puffin ; Sea Parrot. Fratercula arctica 
13.00 

Ad. in summer. — Upper parts, together with a band across the 
fore neck, blackish ; sides of head ashy-white; breast and belly 
white ; hill very deep, red; feet red. Ad. in winter and Im. — 
Sides of head obscured with dusky ; bill much smaller, parts 
having been shed. 

Nest, either in a fissure of a cliff or in a short burrow. Eggs, 
dull white, speckled with pale brown, soon becoming stained. 

The Puffin breeds from Matinicus Rock and Machias Seal 
Island, on the coast of Maine, northward, and in winter 
occurs as a rare visitant off rocky shores as far south as 
Cape Ann and Cohasset. It rides the water lightly, dives 
easily, and uses its wings to propel itself under water. In 
summer it may readily be identified by its triangular- 
shaped bill, and by the large whitish patches on the sides 
of the head. 



LOONS : FAMILY GAVIIDiE 

Two species of Loon occur in New York and New Eng- 
land : the Eed-throated Loon is a common migrant, and an 
uncommon winter visitant along the coast; the Loon is a 
summer resident of northern lakes, a migrant on other 
inland waters, and a migrant and winter visitant along the 
coast. When in adult plumage, the latter is easily distin- 
guished ; but in winter it can generally be told from its 
smaller relative only by its size. It is often difficult, also, 
to distinguish between Holboell's Grebe and the Ked- 
throated Loon (see p. 338). 

Red-throated Loon. Gavia hottvie 
25.00 

Ad. in summer. — Head and neck lead-gray; back of the neck 
streaked with white ; fore neck rich chestnut ; upper parts 



334 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

speckled with white ; breast and belly white. Ad. in winter and 
Im. — Upper parts, wings, and tail blackish-brown, speckled with 
white ; throat, fore neck, and rest of under parts white. 

The Eed-throated Loon is a common migrant along the 
sea-coast in September and October, and again in April, 
and a not uncommon winter visitant. It occasionally occurs 
on large inland waters, as at Springfield, Mass., and on the 
Hudson. The adult breeding plumage with the red throat 
is very rare. Its feeding habits resemble those of the fol- 
lowing species. The two species resemble each other so 
closely in winter that it is difficult to be sure of the 
smaller species unless there is something else to measure 
it by, or unless one gets near enough to see the white 
speckling on the back. 

Loon. Gavia imber 
32.00 
Ad. in summer. — Head and throat black ; small white streaks 
on the throat and on the back of the neck ; back black, spotted 
with white ; breast and belly white. Ad. in winter and Im. — Upper 
parts brown, not spotted with white ; throat, fore neck, and under 
parts white. 

, Nest, a rude structure of rushes, very near the water. Eggs^ 
brown or greenish-brown, sparingly spotted with dark brown. 

The Loon is a summer resident of northern New York 
and New England, occurring sparingly on the more remote 
bodies of water from the neighborhood of Mt. Monadnock 
northward, and commonly in the wilder portions of Maine 
and of the Adirondacks. It is a common winter visitant off 
the coast of New York and New England, and may occur 
as a migrant in May and September on any inland pond or 
lake. It may be found during the summer on the coast of 
Maine, though it does not breed there. 

Its weird notes are a familiar sound on the northern 
lakes or harbors : one, loud and clear, with a rising inflec- 



LOON 335 

tion in the middle, falling at the end ; the other, quaver- 
ing, like unearthly laughter. On the water, the Loon rides 
either high, so that its white breast is visible at a great 
distance, or so low that only its neck appears above water. 
It dives with a forward spring, heels over head. When it 
starts to fly, it patters over the surface for a long distance 
before it gets under way, and when there is no breeze, it 
cannot rise at all ; on land, it is almost helpless. It flies 
with neck stretched out in front, feet out behind, the whole 
figure forming a slight curve ; the wing strokes are rapid, 
suggesting a duck. It enters the water with a splash. 

The adult bird, with its contrast of black and white, is 
unmistakable. Immature birds and adults in winter re- 
semble very closely the preceding species ; their greater size, 
however, should distinguish them if the two species are 
together, or on a near view the absence of the spotted back 
is a good field-mark. 

GREBES : FAMILY PODICIPID-5S 

Three species of Grebe occur in New York and New Eng- 
land : the Horned Grebe and Holbcell's Grebe are common 
off the coast as migrants or winter visitants ; the Pied- 
billed Grebe is found either as a migrant or as a rare sum- 
mer resident on inland waters. Grebes are noted for their 
powers of diving quickly, and of swimming long distances 
under water. They can also sink in the water, so that only 
the bill and a small portion of the head appear ; sometimes 
they disappear wholly in this Avay, but as a rule they leap 
forward, showing a clean pair of '' heels." It is often 
diflicult to distinguish between Holbadl's Grebe and the 
Red-throated Loon. If the two occur together, the Loon's 
greater size is apparent ; if the wing is spread, the Grebe 
shows a white patch. Tlie longer neck and narrow head 
distinguish a Grebe from a diving duck. 



336 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

PiED-BiLLED Grebe. Podilymbus podiceps 
13.50 

Ad. in summer. — Middle of throat black ; sides of head gray ; 
top of head, back, wings, and tail dark grayish-brown ; neck 
and breast brownish; belly whitish ; bill whitish, crossed in the 
middle by a black band. Ad. $ in fall. — Upper parts sooty- 
brownish ; throat whitish ; fore neck, breast, and sides brown ; 
rest of under parts silvery-whitish ; wing often shows a little 
white when spread. Ad. *$ and Im. in fall. — Similar, but paler. 

Nest, a mass of stalks, sometimes floating, and attached to 
surrounding reeds. Eggs, dull-white, generally stained. 

The Pied-billed Grebe, Dabchick, or Hell-diver, is a 
local summer resident of New York and New England. It 
breeds in quiet lagoons in ponds or lakes, where reedy 
shores or a growth of water-loving bushes give it shelter. 
Such conditions are commonest in Maine, but it breeds also 
in a few ponds in southern New Hampshire and in Berk- 
shire County, Mass., and undoubtedly in Vermont and 
northern Connecticut. In the Hudson Valley and in the 
vicinity of New York it is rare in summer. Throughout 
New York and New England it is a regular spring and 
autumn migrant in April, and in September and October. 
It may then occur on any bit of inland water, particularly 
where there are sheltered bays, and in the brackish lagoons 
along the sea-coast. It is rarely seen in the sea itself. 

The ease with which the Pied-billed Grebe dives is 
notorious ; sometimes it turns a clean pair of " heels," 
sometimes it sinks gently down till only its bill is exposed. 
Its notes are extremely loud and striking ; the commonest 
is a loud cuck-cuck-cuck-cuck, kow, kow, kow, that sug- 
gests the notes of a cuckoo. A rarer note is a loud wah'- 
hoo, wah'-hoo, v)ah'-hoo, suggesting, in the quality of the 
tone, the call of the Loon. It has also an alarm-note, a low 
toot, toot, toot. 

The brownish fore neck and upper breast will distinguish 



HORNED GREBE 



337 



this grebe in autumn from the following species, which has 
pure white under parts. In spring and summer, adults have 
a small black patch in the middle of the throat ; the black 
band across the middle of the whitish bill shows only at 
close range. 



Horned Grebe. Colymhus auritus 
13.50 

Ad. in late spring. — Top of head and hind neck black ; two 
patches of light reddish-brown back of eye ; sides of head and 
throat black ; the feathers on the sides of the head stand out and 
form broad tufts ; fore neck below the throat and flanks reddish- 
brown ; back and wings blackish ; wing-patch white. Ad. in win- 
ter and Im. — Top of head, hind neck, back, and wings blackish ; 
throat and sides of head below eye white ; fore neck below throat 
lightly washed with dusky ; rest of under parts silverj^-white ; 
wing-patch white. 

Nest, a bed of reeds, often floating. Eggs, dull white. 

The Horned Grebe is a common migrant along the sea- 
coast in October and November, and in March and April ; 
it also occurs as a mi- 
grant on inland waters, 
especially in the autumn, 
but except on large 
streams and lakes is not 
nearly so common inland 
as the preceding species. 
Along the sea-coast it is 
a common winter visit- 
ant; it breeds sparingly 
in northeastern Maine 
(Knight). It is occasion- 
ally seen in spring in the breeding plumage, when its '' ruff" 
of black and yellowish-brown is a striking sight ; but ordi- 
narily it is blackish-brown above and white below. It may 
always be distinguished from the preceding spocios by the 




'^^">\« 



Fig. 95. Horned Grebe, in Winter 



338 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 

pure white of its under parts, and when it opens its wings by 
the white wing-patch. (See, also, the following species.) 

.Holbcell's Grebe. Colymhus holhoellii 

19.00 

Ad. in late spring. — Top of head and hind neck black ; back 
and wings blackish; throat and sides of head grayish-white ; fore 
neck brownish-red, deepening on the sides ; breast white, spotted 
with reddish; belly silver- white ; wing-patch white. Ad. in early 
fall. — Similar to above, but the red paler, often very pale. Ad. 
in winter and Im. — Upper parts blackish ; throat whitish ; neck 
brownish ; under parts whitish ; wing-patch white. 

Holboell's Grebe is a common migrant along the coast in 
October, and in A^ril and May, and a rather uncommon 
winter visitant. It comes fairly close in-shore, sometimes in 
company with others of its species, often with the Horned 
Grebe or the loons. When with the Horned Grebe, its 
larger size is evident ; when alone, its brownish fore neck 
will distinguish it from its smaller relative. The Red- 
throated Loon, however, though evidently larger when 
seen with Holboell's Grebe, complicates the problem, and 
often makes the identity of a lone diving bird of medium 
size a puzzling question. H the bird is a grebe, the white 
wing-patch will show when it shakes its wings or flies. 
A grebe's flight, too, is not so steady and strong as that 
of a loon, nor does its neck seem so thick. If the upper 
parts can be seen at close range, the white spots on the 
loon will distinguish it. 



APPENDIX 



APPENDIX 

A 

LISTS OF BIEDS BEEEDING IN THE THEEE 
LIFE-ZONES OF NEW ENGLAND AND EAST- 
EEN NEW YOEK 

The lists given below are intended to show about what 
birds may be looked for in the breeding season in the 
regions defined in the map on p. 15. They must not, how- 
ever, be taken too strictly ; birds will sometimes appear 
side by side that belong to wholly different groups. Par- 
ticularly is this true of the upland of western and central 
New England, which is an ornithological borderland. (See 
Distribution, p. 13.) Moreover, the exact distribution of 
birds in certain regions is not yet well known ; southern 
Vermont is still quite unexplored. But if no local list is 
obtainable (see Appendix B), then these lists will enable 
a student to make a tentative list of birds to be looked for. 
The lists include only such water-birds as breed commonly 
inland, and only the commoner hawks and owls. 



BIRDS RESTRICTED TO THE UPPER AUSTRAL ZONE. 

North to the Palisades, Staten Island, or Central Park. 
Tufted Titmouse. 
Carolina Wren. 
Kentucky Warbler. 
Cardinal. 



342 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

b. Up the Hudson to Sing Sing. 

Green-crested Flycatcher. 

c. Locally in southern Connecticut as far east as SayhrooTc and 

north to Hartford. 

Hooded Warbler. 

Blue-winged Warbler. 

Worm-eating Warbler. 

Rough-winged Swallow. 

Fish Crow (not west or north of Stratford). 

d. Salt Marshes to Point Judith, R. I. 

Seaside Sparrow. 

e. To Rhode Island and to Berkshire County, Mass. 

Louisiana Water-thrush (local in the eastern and northern 
portions of its range). 

f. To Berkshire and Essex counties, Mass. 

Yellow-breasted Chat. "1 

White-eyed Vireo (barely reaches I Local north or east of 
Berkshire County). j southern Connecticut. 

Orchard Oriole. J 



II 

BIRDS OCCURRING IN THE UPPER AUSTRAL, AND FINDING THEIR 
NORTHERN BREEDING LIMIT IN THE TRANSITION ZONE. 

a. Barely reaching southeastern New Hampshire ; 7iot occurring in 

Berkshire County. 

Prairie Warbler. > ., ^ ,y v i -i. 

^1, . 1 TTT , 1 V Absent near New York city. 
Golden-wmged Warbler, j 

b. Found north of Massachusetts only in large river valleys. 

Wood Thrush (occasional outside of the valleys). 
Yellow-throated Vireo. 
Meadowlark. 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 

Ruffed Grouse (this subspecies not found north of Massa- 
chusetts). 



APPENDIX 343 



c. Absent in New Hampshire from the valleys of the White Moun- 

tains.^ 

House Wren (occasional north of the White Mountains). 

Pitie Warbler (absent near New York city). 

Yellow Warbler. 

Purple Martin. 

Towhee. 

Henslow's Sparrow. ) . i.i i. . i? t»t • 

r>i . a c Apparently absent from Maine. 

Grasshopper Sparrow. ) ^'^ •' 

Crow Blackbird. 

Cowbird. 

Bobolink. 

Sparrow Hawk. 

Red-shouldered Hawk. 

Marsh Hawk. 

Quail. 

Upland Plover. 

Green Heron. 

d. Breeding well up into the valleys of the White Mountains. 

Bluebird. 

White-bellied Nuthatch. 
Brown Thrasher. 
Catbird. 

Warbling Vireo. 
Migrant Shrike. 
Scarlet Tanager. 
Indigo Bunting. 
Field Sparrow. 
Chipping Sparrow. 
Vesper Sparrow. 
Baltimore Oriole. 
Red-winged Blackbird. 
Prairie Horned Lark. 
Least Flj^catcher. 
Phcebe. 

Crested Flycatcher. 
Kingbird. 

1 The following lists aro a liltle altered from those given in G. M. 
Allen's Birds of New Ilanipshire. 



344 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

Flicker. 
Nighthawk. 
Whip-poor-will. 
Screech Owl. 

Ill 

BIRDS FOUND THROUGHOUT THE UPPER AUSTRAL AND TRANSI- 
TION ZONES, AND ALSO IN THE CANADIAN ZONE. 

Robin. 

Veery. 

Chickadee. 

Redstart. 

Northern Yellow- throat. 

Oven-bird. 

Black and White Warbler. 

Red-eyed Vireo. 

Cedar-bird. 

Bank Swallow. 

Tree Swallow. 

Barn Swallow. 

Clife Swallow. . 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 

Swamp Sparrow. 

Song Sparrow. 

American Goldfinch. 

American Crow. 

Blue Jay. 

Wood Pewee. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird. 

Chimney Swift. 

Belted Kingfisher, 

Black-billed Cuckoo. 

Spotted Sandpiper. 

IV 

BIRDS FOUND IN THE TRANSITION AND CANADIAN ZONES, BUT 
RARE OR ABSENT FROM SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT AND THE 
VICINITY OF NEW YORK CITY. 

Hermit Thrush (rare in the Transition Zone). 
Black-throated Green Warbler. 
Northern Parula Warbler. 



APPENDIX 345 

Nashville Warbler. 

Solitary Yireo (rare in the Transition Zone). 

Savannah Sparrow. 

Purple Finch. 

Olive-sided Flycatcher (rare in the Transition Zone). 

Hairy Woodpecker (rather uncommon near New York 
city). 

Canadian Ruffed Grouse (absent south of Massachu- 
setts). 



BIRDS NOT FOUND SOUTH OF THE CANADIAN ZONE. 

a. Throughout the Canadian Zone. 

Olive-backed Thrush. 
Golden-crowned Kinglet. 
Red-bellied Nuthatch. 
Winter Wren. 
Myrtle Warbler. 
Junco. 
White-throated Sparrow. 

b. Only in part of the Canadian Zone. Not found in the White 

Mountains above 3000 feet. 
Brown Creeper. 
Canadian Warbler. 
Mourning Warbler. 
Water-thrush. 
Blackburnian Warbler. 
Black and Yellow Warbler. 
Black-throated Blue Warbler. 
American Crossbill, 
Alder Flycatcher. 
Northern Pileated Woodpecker. 
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. 

c. Only in the upper or northern part of the Canadian Zone. In the 

White Mountains above 3000 feety and in northern and eastern 
Maine. 

Bicknell's Thrush. 

Hudsonian Chickadee 

Wilson's Warbler (only in eastern and northern Maine). 



346 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 

Yellow Palm Warbler (only in eastern and northern 

Maine). 
Black-poll Warbler. 
Bay-breasted Warbler (on the White Mountains as low as 

1800 feet). 
Cape May Warbler. 
Tennessee Warbler. 
Pine Siskin. 

White-winged Crossbill. 
Canadian Pine Grosbeak, 

Rusty Blackbird (only in northern and eastern Maine). 
Canada Jay. 

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. 
American Three-toed Woodpecker. 
Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. 
Canadian Spruce Grouse. 



B 

BOOKS OF REFERENCE 

The books listed below will, it is believed, furnish the 
necessary amount of additional information about the-birds 
treated in this Guide ; but no attempt has been made to 
make the list exhaustive, and many excellent books have 
been omitted. 

I 

MANUALS GIVING A DESCRIPTION AND ACCOUNT OF EACH BIRD. 

Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America. F. M. Chapman. 
D. Appleton & Co., New York. 

The Land-Birds and Game-Birds of New England. H. D. Minot. 
3d ed. Edited by WiUiam Brewster. Houghton, Mifflin & 
Co., Boston. 

Birds of Village and Field. Florence A. Merriam. Houghton, 
Mifflin & Co., Boston. 

Our Birds in Their Haunts. J. Hibbert Langille. (Out of print 
and hard to obtain.) 

Among the Water-Fowl. H. K. Job. Donbleday, Page & Co., 
New York. 

The Water-Fowl Family. Leonard C. Sanford and others. The 
Macmillan Co., New York. 

II 

TREATISES ON BIRD-LIFE IN GENERAL. 

Bird-Life. F. M. Chapman. D. Appleton & Co., New York. 

The Bird Book. Fannie Hardy Eckstorm. I). C. Heath & Co., 
Boston. 

The Woodpeckers. Fannie Hardy Eckstorm. Houghton, INIiftiiu 
& Co., Boston. 



348 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 



III 

LOCAL LISTS, GIVING THE BIRDS THAT OCCDR IN ANY ONE 
REGION OR LOCALITY. 

New York. 

Visitors' Guide to the Collection of Birds found within Fifty 
Miles of New York City. F. M. Chapman. (For sale at the 
American Museum of Natural History, Xew York.) 

The Summer Birds of the Catskill Mountains. E. P. Bicknell. 
Transactions of the Linnsean Society of New York, vol. i. 
pp. 115-168. (Difficult to obtain.) 

Birds of the Hudson Highlands. E. A. Mearns. Bulletin Essex 
Institute, vol. x. pp. 166-179; vol. xi. pp. 43-52, 154-168, 189- 
204 ; vol. xii. pp. 11-25, 109-128; vol. xiii. pp. 75-93. 

New Jersey. 
Birds of Princeton and vicinity. W. A. Babson, Princeton, N. J, 

Connecticut. 

Birds of Bridgeport, Conn. C. K. Averill. Bridgeport Scientific 

Society. 
Birds of Connecticut. C. Hart Merriam. Proc. Conn. Acad., 

July, 1877. 

Rhode Island. 

Birds of Khode Island. Howe and Sturtevant. (Apply to Ed- 
ward Sturtevant, Newport, R. I.) 

Massacliusetts. 

Birds of Massachusetts. Howe and Allen. (Apply to R. H. 
Howe, Jr., Concord, Mass.) 

Birds of Cambridge and Vicinity. William Brewster. (In 
preparation.) 

Birds of Essex County. Dr. C. W. Townsend. (In preparation.) 

Birds of \Yellesley. A. P. Morse, Wellesley, Mass. 

Birds of Springfield and Vicinity. R. W. Morris, Springfield, 
Mass. 

Birds of Berkshire County. W. Faxon and R. Hoffmann. Berk- 
shire Historical and Scientific Society, Pittsfield, Mass. (Hard 
to obtain.) 



APPENDIX 349 

New Hampshire. 

Birds of New Hampshire. G. M. Allen. Proc. Manchester Sci. 
Inst., Manchester, N. H. (In press.) 

Birds of Belknap and Merrimac Counties. Ned Dearborn, Dur- 
ham, N. H. 

Birds of Durham and Vicinity. Ned Dearborn. New Hampshire 
Agric. Coll., Durham, N. H. 

Summer Birds of Holderness and Franconia, N. H. Faxon and 
Allen. Auk, vol. v. pp. 149-155. 

Summer Birds of the Presidential Range, White Mountains. A. 
P. Chadbourne. Auk, vol. iv. pp. 100-108. 

Vermont. 
Birds of Vermont. R. H. Howe, Jr., Concord, Mass. 

Maine. 
Birds of Maine. O. W. Knight, Bangor, Me. (Hard to obtain.) 
Birds of Portland. N. C. Brown. Proc. Port. Soc. Nat. Hist. 
(Hard to obtain.) 

IV 

MAGAZINES. 

Bird-Lore. Bi-monthly. Edited by F. M. Chapman. Illustrated. 
One dollar a year. The Macmillan Co., Harrisburg, Pa. (Con- 
tains each year the name of some one in each state who will 
answer questions about birds.) 

The Auk. Quarterly. More technical. Three dollars a year. 
Dr. J. Dwight, Jr., New York City. 

WALL CHARTS. 

Audubon Bird Charts, No. I., No. II., contain together fifty-six 
birds in colors. Prang Educational Co., Boston. 

Bird-Lore Chart. Sixty-two representative birds, not colored. 
The Macmillan Co., Harrisburg, Pa. 

Wall Chart. A. W. Mumford, Chicago. 

Colored pictures from Birds and Nature may be obtained from 
the Perry Picture Co. 



350 A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS 



FIELD NOTE-BOOKS. 

Bird-Lore's Field Identification Blank. J. Horace McFarland 

Co., Harrisburg, Pa. 
Field Note-Book. Miss J. A. Clark, 1322 Twelfth Street, N. W., 

Washington, D. C. 



INDEX 



INDEX 



AcANTHis linaria, 178. 
Accipiter atricapillus, 242. 

cooperii, 243. 

velox, 244. 
Actitis macularia, 261. 
Actodromas fuscicoUis, 269. 

maculata, 270. 

minutilla, 269. 
.^gialitis meloda, 254. 

semipalmata, 255. 
Agelaius phceniceus, 191. 
Aix sponsa, 301. 
Alca torda, 330. 
Alle alle, 329. 
Ammodramus caudacutus, 167. 

henslowii, 168. 

maritimus, 165. 

nelsoni, 168. 

nelsoni subvirgatus, 168. 
Ampelis cedrorum, 139. 
Anas boschas, 306. 

obscura, 305. 

obscura rubripes, 305. 
Anthus pensilvanicus, 97. 
Antrostomus vociferus, 213. 
Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis, 
Ardea herodias, 283. 
Ardetta exilis, 284. 
Arenaria morinella, 252. 
Arquatella maritima, 270. 
Asio accipitrinus, 233. 

wilsonianus, 233. 
Astragalinus tristis, 177. 
Auk, Razor-billed, 330. 
Aythya afflnis, 298. 

americana, 300. 

marila, 299. 

Baeolophua bicolor, 85. 
Baldpate, 304. 
Bartramia longicauda, 262. 
Beetle-head, 257. 
Bittern, American, 285. 

Least, 284. 
Blackbird, Crow, 184. 

Red-winged, 191. 

Rusty, 186. 
Blue-bill, 299. 

Little, 298. 
Bluebird, 71. 
Bobolink, 193. 
Bob- white, 251. 
Bonasa umbellus, 249. 



Bonasa umbellus togata, 249. 
Botaurus lentiginosus, 285. 
Brant, 287. 
Branta bernicla, 287. 

canadensis, 287. 
Bubo virginianus, 230. 
Buffle-head, 296. 
Bunting, Bay-winged, 172. 

Indigo, 149. 

Snow, 174, 
Butcher-bird (Northern Shrike), 138. 
Buteo borealis, 242. 

lineatus, 241. 

platypterus, 240. 
Butorides virescens, 282. 

Calcarius lapponicus, 173. 
Calidris arenaria, 266. 
Canachites canadensis canace, 251. 
Cardinal, 151. 
Cardinalis cardinalis, 151. 
Carduelis carduelis, 175. 
Carpodacus purpureas, 181. 
Catbird, 95. 
Cedar-bird, 139. 

Ceophloeus pileatus abieticola, 219. 
Cepphus grylle, 331. 
Certhia familiaris americana, 88. 
Ceryle alcyon, 224. 
Chaetura pelagica, 210. 
Charadrius dominicus, 257. 
Charitonetta albeola, 296. 
Chat, Yellow-breasted, 102. 
Chebec, 202. 
Chewink, 152. 
Chickadee, 84. 

Hudsonian, 83. 
Chordeiles virginianus, 212. 
Circus luidsonius, 245. 
Cistothorus stellaris, 90. 
Clangula clangula americana, 297. 

islandica, 297. 
Coccyzus americanus, 227. 

erythrophthalmus, 226. 
Colaptes auratus luteus, 216. 
Colinus virginianus, 251. 
Colynibus auritus, 337. 

holb(vllii, 338. 
Conipsothlypis americana iisne??, 124. 
Contopus virens, 205. 
Coot, 290. 

American, 276. 
Cormorant, Common, 311. 



354 



INDEX 



Cormorant, Double-crested, 310. 
Corvus americanus, 196. 

corax principalis, 197. 

ossifragus, 195. 
Coturniculus savannarum passerinus, 

169. 
Cowbird, 192. 
Creeper, Black and White, 129. 

Brown, 88. 
Crossbill, American, 180. 

Red, 180. 

White-winged, 179. 
Crow. American, 196. 

Fish, 195. 
Crymophilus fulicarius, 275. 
Cuckoo, Black-biUed, 226. 

Yellow-billed, 227. 
Curlew, Eskimo, 261. 

Hudsouiau, 261. 

Jack, 261. 
Cyanocitta cristata, 198. 
Cyauospiza cyanea, 149. 

Dafila acuta, 302. 
Dendroica sestiva, 122. 

blackburuiae, 114. 

caerulescens, 121. 

castanea, 116. 

corouata, 120. 

discolor, 109. 

maculo.sa, 118. 

pilmarum. 111. 

paliiiarum hypochi'ysea, 110. 

ptnr>ylvanica, 117. 

striata, 115. 

tigrina, 123. 

vigorsii. 111. 

vireus, 113. 
Doliclion3'x oryzivorus, 193. 
Dove. Mourning, 246. 
Dovekie, 329. 
Dowitcher, 272. 
Dryobates piibescens medianus, 223. 

vlllosus, 224. 
Duck. Black. 305. 

Harlequin, 294. 

Lesser Scaup. 298. 

Red-legged Black, 305. 

Ruddy, 289. 

Scaup, 299. 

Wood, 301. 
Dunlin, 268. 

Eagle, Bald, 238. 
Ectopistes migratorius, 247. 
Eider, American, 293. 

King, 293. 
Empidonax flaviventris, 204. 

minimus, 202. 

traillii alnorum, 202. 

virescens, 203. 
Ereunetes pusillus, 267. 
Erismatura jamaicensis, 289. 

Falco columbarius, 237. 
peregrinus anatum, 238. 
sparverius, 236. ' 



Finch, Pine, 176. 

Purple, 181. 
Flicker, Northern, 216. 
Flycatcher, Alder, 202. 

Crested, 207. 

Green-crested, 203. 

Least, 202. 

Olive-sided, 206. 

YeUow-bellied, 204. 
Fratercula arctica, 333. 
Fulica americana, 276. 

Galeoscoptes carolinensis, 95. 
Galliuago delicata, 272. 
Gallinula galeata. 277. 
I Galhnule. Florida, 277. 
! Gannet, 311. 
! Gavia imber, 334. 

lumme, 333. 
Geothlj'pis agilis, 105. 

formosa. 106. 

Philadelphia, 105. 

trichas brachydactyla, 103. 
Golden-eye, American, 297. 

Barrow "s, 297. 
Goldfinch. American, 177. 

European, 175. 
Goosander. 309. 
Goose. Canada, 287. 
Goshawk. American, 242. 
Grackle, Bronzed, 184. 

Purple. 184. 
Grass Bird. 270. 
Grebe, Holboeirs, 338. 

Horned, 337. 

Pied-billed, 336. 
Grosbeak, Canadian Pine, 183. 

Rose-breasted, 150. 
Grouse. Canadian Ruffed, 249. 

Canadian Spruce, 251. 

Ruffed, 240. 
Guillemot, Black, 331. 
Gull, Bonaparte's, 322. 

Great Black-backed, 326. 

Herring. 324. 

Laughing, 322. 

Ring-biUed, 323. 

Hagdon, 315. 

Haglet, 315. 

Haliaeetus leucocephalus, 238. 

Harelda hyemalis, 294. 

Hawk. American Rough-legged, 239. 

American Sparrow, 236. 

Broad-winged, 240. 

Cooper's, 243. 

Duck. 238. 

Fish, 235. 

Marsh, 245. 

Pigeon, 237. 

Red-shouldered, 241. 

Red-tailed, 242. 

Rough-legged, 239. 

Sharp-shinned, 244. 

Sparrow, 236. 
Heath Hen, 248. 
Helminthophila chrysoptera, 127. 



INDEX 



355 



Helminthophila peregrina, 125. 

pinus, 127. 

rubricapilla, 126. 
Helmitheros vermivorus, 128. 
Helodromas solitarius, 26-4. 
Heron, Black-crowned Night, 281. 

Great Blue, 283. 

Green, 282. 
Hirundo erythrogastra, 144. 
Histrionicus histrionicus, 294. 
Hummingbird, Ruby-throated, 209. 
Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis, 316. 
Hylocichla aliciaj, 77. 

aliciae bicknelli, 77. 

fuscescens, 78. 

guttata pallasii, 74. 

mustelina, 79. 

ustulata swainsoni, 76. 

Ice-bird, 330. 
Icteria virens, 102. 
Icterus galbula, 188. 

spurius, 189. 
Indigo-bird, 149. 
Iridoprocne bicolor, 143. 

Jaeger, Long-tailed, 328. 

Parasitic, 328. 

Poniarine, 328. 
Jay, Blue, 198. 

Canada, 197. 
Junco, Slate-colored, 158. 
Junco hyemalis, 158. 

Killdeer, 256. 
Kingbird, 208. 
Kingfisher, Belted, 224. 
Kinglet, Golden-crowned, 81. 

Ruby-crowned, 80. 
Kittiwake, 327. 
Knot, 271. 

Lanius borealis, 138. 

ludovicianus, 137. 
Lark, Horned, 200. 

Prairie Horned, 199. 

Shore, 200. 
Larus argentatus, 324. 

atricilla, 322. 

delawarensis, 323. 

marinus, 326. 

Philadelphia, 322. 
Longspnr, Lapland, 173. 
Loon, 334. 

Red-throated, 333. 
Lophodytes cucullatus, 307. 
Loxia curvirostra minor, 180. 

leucoptera, 179. 

Macrorhamphus griseus, 272. 
Mallard, 306. 
Mareca americana, 304. 
Martin, Purple, 146. 
Meadowlark, 190. 
Megaacops asio, 230. 
Melanerpea erythrocephalus, 217. 
Melospiza cinerea melodia, 157. 



Melospiza georgiana, 155. 

lincolnii, 156. 
Merganser, American, 309. 

Hooded, 307. 

Red-breasted, 308. 
Merganser americanus, 309. 

serrator, 308. 
Merula migratoria, 73. 
Micropalama himantopus, 271. 
Mimus polyglottos, 96. 
Mniotilta varia, 129. 
Mockingbird, 96. 
Molothrus ater, 192. 
Murre, Brllnnich's, 331. 
Myiarchus crinitus, 207. 

Nettion carolinensis, 304. 
Nighthawk, 212. 
Numenius hudsonicus, 261. 
Nuthatch, Red-breasted, 85. 

White-breasted, 86. 
Nuttallornis borealis, 206. 
Nyctala acadica, 231. 
Nyctea nyctea, 229. 
Nycticorax nycticorax nsevius, 281 . 

Oceanites oceanicus, 312. 
Oceanodroma leucorhoa, 313. 
Oidemia americana, 292. 

deglandi, 292. 

perspicillata, 290. 
Olbiorchilus hiemalis, 91. 
Old-squaw, 294. 
Oriole, Baltimore, 188. 

Orchard, 189. 
Osprey, American, 235. 
Otocoris alpestris, 200. 

alpestris praticola, 199. 
Oven-bird, 108. 
Owl, Acadian, 231. 

American Barn, 2,34. 

American Hawk, 229. 

American Long-eared, 233. 

Barn, 234. 

Barred, 232. 

Great Horned, 230. 

Hawk, 229. 

Long-eared, 233. 

Saw- whet, 231. 

Screech, 230. 

Short-eared, 233. 

Snowy, 229. 
O-xyechus, vociferus, 256. 

Pandion haliaetus carolinensis, 235. 
Parrot, Sea, 333. 
Partridge, 249. 
Parua atrioai)illus, 84. 

hudsonicus, S3. 
Pa.sser domesticus, 181. 
Passerculus princeps, 171. 

sandwichensis savanna, 170. 
Paaserella iliaca, 154. 
Passerina nivahs, 174. 
Peep, 267, 269. 
Pelidna alpina pacifica, 268. 
Perisoreus canadensis, 197. 



356 



INDEX 



Petrel, Leach's, 313. 

Wilson's, 312. 
Petrochelidon lunifrons, 145. 
Pewee, Bridge, 206. 

Wood, 205. 
Phalacrocorax carbo, 311. 

dilophus, 310. 
Phalarope, Northern. 275. 

Red, 275. 
Phalaropus lobatus, 275. 
Phasianus colchicus, 248. 

torquatus, 248. 
Pheasant, English, 248. 

Ring-necked, 248. 
Philohela minor, 273. 
Phoebe, 206. 
Picoides americanus, 221. 

arcticus, 222. 
Pigeon, Sea, 331, 

Wild, 247. 
Pinicola enucleator leucura, 183. 
Pintail, 302. 

Pipilo erythrophthalmus, 152. 
Pipit, American, 97. 
Piranga erythromelas, 147. 
Plover, American Golden, 257. 

Black-belUed, 257. 

Piping, 254. 

Semipalmated, 255. 

Upland, 262. 
Podilj-mbus podiceps, 336. 
Pooecetes gramineus, 172. 
Porzana Carolina, 278. 
Progne subis, 146. 
Puffin, 333. 
Puffinus boreaUs, 315. 

gravis, 315. 

fuliginosus, 314. 

Quail, 251 . 

Querquedula discors, 303. 

Quiscalus quiscula, 184. 

quiscula seneus, 184. 

Rail, Carolina, 278. 

Virginia, 279. 
Rallus virginianus, 279. 
Raven, Northern, 197. 
Redhead, 300. 
Redpoll, 178. 

Yellow, 110. 
Redstart, American, 99. 
Regulus calendula, 80. 

satrapa, 81. 
Ring-neck, 255. 
Riparia riparia, 142. 
Rissa tridactyla, 327. 
Robin, American, 73. 

Sanderling, 266. 
Sandpiper, Bartramian, 262. 

Least, 269. 

Pectoral, 270. 

Purple. 270. 

Red-backed, 268. 

Semipalmated, 267. 

Solitary, 264. 



Sandpiper, Spotted, 261. 

Stilt, 271. 

White-rumped, 269. 
Sapsucker, YeUow-bellied, 220. 
Sayornis phoebe, 206. 
Scolecophagus carolinus, 186. 
Scoter, American, 292. 

Surf, 290. 

White-winged, 292. 
Seiurus aurocapillus, 108. 

motacilla, 107. 

noveboracensis, 108. 
Setophaga ruticilla, 99. 
Shearwater, Cory's, 315. 

Greater, 315. 

Sootv, 315. 
Sheldrake. 308, 309. 
Shrike. Loggerhead, 137. 

Northern, 138. 
Sialia sialis, 71. 
Siskin, Pine, 176. 
Sitta canadensis, 85. 

carolinensis, 86. 
Snipe, Wilson's, 272. 

Winter, 270. 
Snowbird, 158. 
Snowflake, 174. 
Somateria dresseri, 293. 

spectabilis, 293. 
Sora, 278. 
Sparrow, Acadian Sharp-tailed, 168. 

Chipping, 161. 

English, 181. 

Field, 160. 

Fox, 154. 

Grasshopper, 169. 

Henslow's, 168. 

Ipswich, 171. 

Lincoln's, 156. 

Savanna, 170. 

Seaside, 165. 

Sharp-tailed, 167. 

Song, 157. 

Swamp, 155. 

Tree, 162. 

Vesper, 172. 

White-crowned, 164. 

White-throated, 163. 
Sphyrapicus varius, 220. 
Spinus pinus, 176. 
Spizella monticola, 162. 

pusilla, 160. 

socialis, 161. 
Squatarola squatarola, 257. 
Starling, 195. 

StelgidopterjTc serripennis, 141. 
Stercorarius longicaudus, 328. 

parasiticus, 328. 

pomarinus, 328. 
Sterna antillarum, 317. 

caspia, 320. 

dougalli, 317. 

hirundo, 319. 

paradisaea, 318. 
Strix pratincola, 234. 
SturneUa magna, 190. 
Stumus vulgaris, 195. 



INDEX 



357 



Sula bassana, 311. 

Surnia ulula caparoch, 229. 

Swallow, Bank, 142. 

Barn, 144. 

Cliff, 145. 

Eave, 145. 

Rough- winged, 141. 

Tree 143 

White-beilied, 143. 
Swift, Chimney, 210. 
Symphemia semipalmata, 263. 
Syrniuin varium, 232. 

Tanager, Scarlet, 147. 
Teal, Blue-winged, 303. 

Green-winged, 304. 
Telmatodytes palustris, 89. 
Tern, Arctic, 318. 

Black, 316. 

Caspian, 320. 

Common, 319. 

Least, 317. 

Roseate, 317. 
Thrasher, Brown, 95. 
Thrush, Bicknell's, 77. 

Brown, 95. 

Gray-cheeked, 77. 

Hermit, 74. 

Olive-backed, 76, 

Swainson's, 76. 

Wilson's, 78. 

Wood, 79. 
Thryothorus ludovicianus, 94. 
Titlark, 97. 
Titmouse, Tufted, 85. 
Totanus flavipes, 265. 

melanoleucus, 265. 
Towhee, 152. 
Toxostoma rufum, 95. 
Tringa canutus, 271. 
Trochilus colubris, 209. 
Troglodytes aedon, 93. 
Turnstone, Ruddy, 252. 
Tympanuchus cupido, 248. 
Tyrannus tyrannus, 208. 

Uria lomvia, 331. 

Veery, 78. 

Vireo, Blue-headed, 132. 

Philadelphia, 135. 

Red-eyed, 136. 

Solitary, 132. 

Warbling, 134. 

White-eyed, 131. 

Yellow-throated, 133. 
Vireo flavifrons, 133. 

gilvus, 134. 

noveboracensis, 131. 

olivaceus, 136. 

philadelphieus, 135. 

solitarius, 132. 

Warbler, Bay-breasted, 116. 



Warbler, Black and White, 129. 

Black and Yellow, 118. 

Blackburnian, 114. 

Black-poll, 115. 

Black-throated Blue, 121. 

Black-throated Green, 113 

Blue-winged, 127. 

Canadian, 100. 

Cape May, 123. 

Chestnut-sided, 117. 

Connecticut, 105. 

Golden- winged, 127. 

Hooded, 102. 

Kentucky, 106. 

Magnolia, 118. 

Mourning, 105. 

Myrtle, 120. 

Nashville, 126. 

Northern Parula, 124. 

Palm, 111. 

Pine, 111. 

Prairie, 109. 

Tennessee, 125. 

Wilson's, 101. 

Worm-eating, 128. 

Yellow, 122. 

Yellow Palm, 110. 

Yellow-rumped, 120. 
Water-thrush, 108. 

Louisiana, 107. 
Waxwing, Cedar, 139. 
Whip-poor-will, 213. 
Whistler, 297. 
Widgeon, American, 304. 
Willet, 263. 
Wilsonia canadensis, 100. 

mitrata, 102. 

pusilla, 101. 
Woodcock, 273. 
Woodpecker, American Three-toed, 221. 

Arctic Three-toed, 222. 

Downy, 223. 

Golden-winged, 216. 

Hairy, 224. 

Northern Pileated, 219. 

Red-headed, 217. 
Wren, Carolina, 94. 

House, 93. 

Long-billed Marsh, 89. 

Short-billed Marsh, 90. 

Winter, 91. 

Yellowbird, Summer, 122. 
Yellow-legs, 265. 

Greater, 265. 

Summer, 265. 

Winter, 265. 
Yellow-throat, Maryland, 103. 

Northern, 103. 

Zamelodia ludovioiana. 150. 
Zenaidura macroura, 246. 
Zonotrichia albicollis, 163. 
leucophrys, 164. 



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